A Secret Kept
by xXChiasaHimuraXx
Summary: When questions of his past surface, Yusei uncovers a 20-year-old secret that someone will do anything to keep hidden - even if it means murder! Rated T just to be safe! for some violence... Slight Yusei/Akiza Faithshipping... very slight...
1. Chapter 1  And So It Begins, Part One

Author's Notes: I originally wrote this last summer so if it's not the best I'm sorry... I don't really want to go back and rewrite the parts that aren't so great. Please review; it would make my day AND it will determine if I keep updating this story. No review = dead story.

If I get reviews, then I will update weekly (more than once if by some miracle people absolutely love it). This chapter was too long so this is actually only the first half... the second will be up tomorrow regardless of whether I get reviews but if you wanna read anymore than that... well you get the idea^_^ and now I'm just rambling...

I don't own Yugioh 5d's... only the characters I created and the plot... enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter One – And So It Begins<strong>

"So do you think you can fix it, Yusei?" Akiza inquired.

The two of them were in Akiza's garage next to her duel runner, Yusei kneeling, bent over the engine trying to find the reason it wasn't running properly, Akiza standing anxiously over him. The cement floor was scattered with tools, nuts and bolts, and several panels that normally covered the engine. There was also a work bench standing near by with a few more tools and Yusei's jacket draped over it.

"Hmm. To be honest, I'm still not sure at the moment what exactly is wrong," the raven-haired teen answered as he sat back on his heels and scratched his head. He could usually find the problem with - well - anything electronic fairly quickly, but this one baffled him.

Akiza brushed away a long burgundy strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face and turned as the connecting door between the house and garage was pushed open to reveal her mother in a white apron, holding a small glass mixing bowl in one arm and a whisk in the opposite hand.

"Hi mom," Akiza said. Yusei looked up from the engine as she spoke.

"You two have been our here quite awhile. Any luck getting that thing to run?" she asked Yusei.

" I'm afraid not, Mrs. Izinski," he answered. "I can't seem to find the problem."

"That's unfortunate. Well maybe in you take a break and come back to it you'll see something you missed." Mrs. Izinski turned to leave as a timer dinged in the kitchen, saying only "Better get dinner in the oven!" before exciting the garage through the same door she had entered only a moment before.

"Maybe your mom's right, Akiza. Let's take a break," Yusei admitted with a sigh as he walked toward the back wall of the garage - the only uncluttered space to be found. He sat down with his back to the wall, head resting against it, and heaved another sigh; Akiza sat beside him. Silence filled the garage; Yusei deep in thought, Akiza wondering what her friend was pondering. The only thing to be heard for some time were the crickets of the early summer evening singing their mournful song.

Without warning, the door swung open again and Mrs. Izinski poked her head through. "I almost forgot: Yusei, would you care to stay for dinner? There's plenty and we'd be glad to have you!"

Yusei nodded, a small smile appearing. "I'd be delighted."

"Wonderful! I'll set a place for you. It'll be ready before too much longer so why don't you two some in and get washed up." Her head disappeared back inside and the door clicked shut.

Yusei pushed himself up off the floor and offered his hand to Akiza, which she took. They went to the door and Yusei opened it saying only, "After you," to Akiza; together they disappeared inside.

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><p>The meal was simple and yet one of the best Yusei had eaten in quite some time. The fiery-headed Crow wasn't horrible at it, but nothing could compare to Mrs. Izinski's cooking!<p>

When they had finished eating, the four of them - Yusei, Akiza, and her mother and father - ambled in the living room and sank into a couple of gray leather arm chairs and a couch of the same. They simply chatted and laughed for around half an hour before Mrs. Izinski proclaimed, "Oh, Yusei! You have _got _to see photos of Akiza when she was little!" Then: " Dear, would you hand me that black photo album there? Yes that one. Thank you."

"Mom!" Akiza protested. "Do we have to do this now?"

"Well, why ever not, daughter?" she asked as she flipped the album open. "Now these are of Akiza when she was only two!"

Akiza grabbed Yusei's hand and pulled him to his feet. "We need to get back to the garage and my runner!" she declared, quickly pulling him in the general direction of the door to the garage. "C'mon, Yusei."

"Thanks again for dinner," was all Yusei had time to say before being pulled from the room. However, he was not pulled through the doorway before catching a glimpse of Akiza in a pink bunny suit she had worn for Halloween; he couldn't help but smile at the image.

"Sorry about that, Yusei," Akiza apologized after reaching the safety of the garage.

"For what? The photos?" Yusei shook his head as he knelt back down over the engine and started tinkering once again. "I'd give anything to have memories like that from my childhood. I know it took awhile for your parents to get it right, but at least you had a family."

For the longest time, neither duelists spoke. The silence struck Akiza as quite odd; usually her raven-haired friend would chat with her on and off as he worked, telling her what certain parts were and how they worked, more than anything. As she watched him, it became apparent that something wasn't quite right: she could see that the muscles in his shoulders and neck were more tense then normal and his jaw was set in a hard line, like he was clenching his teeth. His normally calm blue eyes were troubled.

"Yusei? Is something wrong?" Akiza prompted, concern evident in her voice.

"No. It's nothing," he mumbled, ducking his head, bangs falling in front of his eyes. "Just... thinking. That's all."

Akiza knew that her quiet friend wouldn't talk about what was bothering him unless he wanted to, but at the same time, she couldn't let the matter go; she couldn't stand to see any of her friends hurting. Especially not Yusei after all he had done for her. He had been the first to truly care about her, though she couldn't see it at the time; he had been a true friend to her even before she had wanted him around. He had shown her that she didn't have to be alone. Most importantly, he had seen through her mask and had shown her that her powers and her mark of the Dragon made her beautiful, not a witch or a monster, as she had viewed herself for so long. He had given her a life she had never thought possible for herself; a life with her parents, with friends, with hope and _love._Now it was her turn to do the same for him - but how when he wouldn't tell her what was wrong? Now, it was possible she was just overreacting - he could simply be so tense from trying to find the problem with her runner for several days.

...But what if there _was _something wrong?

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><p><em>Ding-dong!<em>

Akiza raced down the stairs at the sound of the doorbell, hoping beyond all hope that it was Yusei. He hadn't been by in three days and she was starting to worry. Usually when he worked on her runner, he came by every day after work until he had fixed the problem, and this time had been no exception - until now. That night he had tinkered around for about another hour, not saying a word. It had startled her when he finally spoke to say that he still hadn't found the problem, to thank her mother again for dinner, and that he'd better get home. She hadn't seen him since.

Akiza threw open the door only to be disappointed by the orange-haired male that stood before her, riding helmet in hand. As she looked into his grey eyes, her heart fell. "Crow," she stated, "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I just came to ask you a question," Crow spoke bluntly.

"Uhm, okay. Shoot."

"What happened three days ago when Yusei was here? I know something did; I've never seen him this way before. He came home, didn't say a single solitary word to either me or Jack, and has been cooped-up in his room ever since," Crow reported accusingly. "Won't even eat."

Akiza closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. "I wish I could tell you, Crow, but I don't know myself. One minute he was fine and the next... . I don't know what happened, Crow..."

"There must have been something, Akiza. Think! Something you did... or something you said..."

"He was fine until we took a break from my duel runner. I didn't do or say anything!" Akiza retorted. To think! that she would hurt her closest friend! Of all the nerve, that Crow Hogan!

Crow sighed, and ducking his head, rubbed the back of this neck with his free hand. "I'm sorry, Akiza. I've just never seen him act like this before, and, to be honest, it kinda scares me a little."

Akiza relaxed. "And you can't get anything out of him?"

"Not a word," he responded, shaking his head.

"We've got to find some one he will talk to then! We can't just let him keep going like this..."

"State the obvious why don't you. I sent Jack - forced would actually be a better word - to find Kalin, but I thought if you knew something, it would save us the trouble of attempting to find him."

"Kalin? Why him?" Akiza was puzzled; she knew they had been close once, but now Yusei wasn't any closer to Kalin than to Jack or Crow.

"It might be a long shot but I didn't know what else to do. The two of them were closer than brothers back in the day, with the whole 'Enforcers' thing. Kalin was the only one that could ever get Yusei to open up when something happened. That's one reason, I think, that Yusei stayed when Jack and I walked away. Don't know if that's still true now, I guess, but..." He shrugged.

Akiza nodded in agreement and the two of them stood in an awkward silence for a minute. Crow was the one the finally break it: "I'd better get going and see how Jack's hunt for Kalin is going. Probably not well considering he's not concerned in the least."

"Let me know when you find our anything, okay?"

"Yeah. Sure." Crow stepped away from the door and towards is runner. As he walked away, Akiza couldn't be sure he meant it; she could tell his mind had wondered away from their conversation to finding Kalin.


	2. Chapter 1 And So It Begins, Part Two

Author's Notes: Second half of chapter one just like I promised! Like I've said before, though, if you want more, you'd better review; otherwise it feels like a waste of time to me to bother posting. I encourage constructive criticism but please no flaming! Thank you in advance^_^

*I know the beginning seems a little extreme... please keep reading though... there's a longer explanation of that at the end!*

Anyway, I don't own Yugioh 5ds, just my characters and the plot. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter One Continued - And So It Begins<br>**

Kalin plopped down in the chair opposite Jack across the kitchen table, running the fingers of his right hand through his icy blue hair. It had taken then quite some time to locate their friend and, as a result, another day had past.

"No luck I take it," Jack remarked, sipping his coffee.

"Wouldn't even acknowledge my presence," Kalin sighed. "He just sat there, completely zoned out... And no one has any idea at all what happened?"

"Nope, nada, none," Crow responded, arms crossed aver his chest. He was seated to Kalin's right at the table. "So what now? You were kinda our last hope..."

Kalin shook his head. "I don't know... Is there anyone he's especially close to?"

"Akiza," Jack answered. "Those two are practically dating, though neither will admit it. But Crow already talked to her; she doesn't know any more than we do. He denied anything was wrong when she asked."

"I guess the only thing to do is wait it out then," Kalin stated. Crow and Jack stared at their blue-haired friend like he'd lost his mind. "Well what else _can_we do?" he asked in response. "I care about Yusei as much as you do - not to mention that I owe him for what he tried to do for me - but face it: we can't do anything to help right now."

"He's right, Jack," Crow reluctantly agreed. "Maybe he just needs some space."

Kalin stood to leave. "I need to get back. If you need me, you can reach me here." He handed Crow a slip of paper with a series of numbers on it.

"Right. Thanks." Crow nodded.

Some time after Kalin had departed, Yusei appeared in the makeshift kitchen of their makeshift apartment. Crow and Jack were still seated at the table; they hadn't moved since Kalin left.

"I see you've finally decided to grace us with your presence," Jack stated coolly when he noticed the raven-haired boy.

Yusei ignored the blonde's comment and walked into the kitchen area. He hadn't eaten in days, so much to the surprise of Crow, Yusei tugged open the fridge door and proceeded to find himself some lunch and to pour a glass of milk to go with it. He turned and leaned against the counter top as he ate.

"Yusei?" a surprised Crow inquired, "Everything alright? You were starting to scare me for a while there..."

"I'm fine," he answered non-chalantly. "Why do you ask?"

Before Crow had a chance to begin to respond, Jack cut him off angrily, "Why does he ask? WHY DOES HE ASK? Well, I'm not 100% sure, but it might have something to do with the fact that you've been holed-up in your room for four days straight, not saying a word to anyone, not even acknowledging anyone else's presence!"

"Oh. That." His was still as nonchalant as it had been a moment before. "Just had a lot on my mind. That's all." He finished his milk and placed the glass in the sink next to the plate that had held his meal moments before. Exasperated, Jack crossed his arms over chest and plunked back down on the chair he had abandoned a moment before as he chewed out Yusei. Under his breath, he muttered, "But for FOUR days?" Yusei again ignored his blond friend's remark.

"You know you can talk to us, right, Yus'? ...Well, talk to _me_at least," Crow added shooting a glare at Jack. "I'm here for ya, buddy."

"Thanks, but I'm fine. Really. I just had some stuff on my mind that I needed to sort out on my own." He started to walk away, grabbed his jacket, then added, "I'm headed to Akiza's to work on her runner. See you guys later!"

"Well that wasn't strange at all..." Crow murmured as the door swung shut again.

"Look on the bright side, Crow," Jack commented. "He's back to normal, at least. I'm headed out too." With that, he got up and walked away, leaving Crow sitting alone at the table. Crow stood soon after Jack's departure, and sighed, "I guess so...I _hope _so...", and started out to deliver his packages for the day.

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><p><em>2:14a.m.<em>

A scream shook the night.

"NOOOOOOO!"

Yusei sat up in bed, wide-eyed, shaken by his dream, breathing heavily and drenched in a cold sweat. He closed his eyes, swallowed, tried to calm himself down. He sensed someone standing at his door, though he hadn't heard it open, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself to be right. The spiky-headed silhouette of the shorter of his two friends was there, the outline created by a light somewhere in the hall. He closed his eyes again, not wanting Crow to see the terror of his nightmare within them.

"Yusei?" Crow spoke just above a whisper. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"It was nothing," Yusei lied. "Just a dream. Go back to bed. I'm fine." He laid back down, rolled over so his face was to the wall.

Crow could tell it was anything but 'nothing' as his raven-haired friend claimed, but what could he do? When Yusei said something was nothing, Crow knew he wouldn't talk about it; in his mind, Yusei was trying to make it 'nothing', therefore it was indeed 'nothing' to everyone else as well. Crow could still hear Yusei's uneven, broken breaths and so found it impossible to move from his doorway until they calmed as Yusei drifted back into sleep.

Crow returned to his room soon after and closed the door behind him. For what seemed like an eternity, he considered giving Kalin a call. He clicked on his bedside lamp, perched on the edge of his bed, and studied the piece of paper Kalin had given him. In the end, he reasoned it wouldn't do anymore good than it had the last time since didn't want to talk. He clicked the light back off and lay staring at the ceiling for some time until finally his eyelids grew heavy and sleep found him once more.

The following morning, no one said anything about the previous night, and for the next week, things seemed to go back to normal. Yusei was consumed with catching up on the work that had piled up while he had been 'ill' (that's the reason he gave to keep customers happy anyway), and continued to try and fix the still unknown and rather baffling problem with Akiza's runner. Crow began to relax as Yusei became more like his old self.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't last.

Lightening flashed and thunder rumbled; it was late in the evening and the rain was coming down in torrents leaving the three would-be-brothers pondering how in the world their power hadn't gone out yet.

A sudden knock sounded on the door. Yusei, who was seated nearest the door, rose from the old beat-up couch they had salvaged to answer it.

"Kalin!" he exclaimed. "Come in! What are you doing here?"

"Kinda got caught in the storm...and your place is _much _closer than where I'm staying," ha answered as he attempted to shake the water from his jacket. "So I was wondering if you happened to have a couch to spare for the night? It'd be greatly appreciated."

"Yeah, of course!" Crow responded for Yusei as he walked over. "Not a problem!"

"Hey thanks! I don't really feel like getting any wetter than I already am!"

"I don't blame ya; it's quite the storm out there!" Crow agreed. "Personally I'm surprised we haven't lost power yet!" With that said, lightening struck and everything went black. "Guess I spoke too soon..."

Jack's voice came from somewhere in the darkness: "Well, there's only one thing to do at night when you have no electricity: sleep. See you all in the morning." The three still standing near the door heard feet shuffling across the floor as the blond headed in the direction of bed; similarly, they also heard when his foot connected with the wall.

"Sounds like sound advice," Kalin stated. "As long as you don't trip and kill yourself trying to get into bed anyway!"

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><p><em>3:01a.m.<em>

Crow jerked awake. At first he had thought the storm had awoken him, but, as he listened and grew more alert, he realized the storm had dwindled down to a drizzle and that the sound he had heard was definitely _not_ thunder but a scream. '_Oh no, not again,'_ he thought. '_I thought everything was back to normal!'_

By the time Crow reached Yusei's door, it was already standing open and, as Crow peeked in, Kalin was seated on the edge of his bed next to him. There was light coming from somewhere in the room. '_Maybe the power's back on,'_Crow thought. Kalin was speaking in a voice too low for Crow to pick up any words but he could guess based on Yusei's broken breaths.

Knowing Kalin would handle it much better than he himself could, Crow headed back to his room. He hadn't been back in bed long before he heard two pairs of feet pattering softly down the hall towards the kitchen area. It didn't take long for the soft rain sounding on the roof and pavement outside to lull him back to sleep.

Down in the kitchen, Kalin silently prepared hot cocoa for himself and Yusei. The electricity was still out so Kalin used the flashlight he had sound before rushing up to his friend's side to find candles and matches to light up the kitchen a little more. '_Good thing the stove runs on gas,'_ Kalin thought as he heated milk on the burner. When it was hot enough, Kalin removed the pan from the burner, poured it into two mugs, and proceeded to add baking cocoa and sugar to the milk. For a few moments, the only sounds to be heard were the quiet pitter-pattering of the rain outside joined by the soft, metallic _clink-clink-clink _of a metal spoon knocking against the side of a ceramic mug. Kalin brought the two mugs of steaming cocoa to the table where Yusei had already been sitting. Setting the mugs down on the table, Kalin seated himself across from his raven-haired friend. Minutes past as they silently sat sipping at the hot drink, listening to what remained of the storm.

When Kalin finally broke the silence, he spoke barely above a whisper: "So Yusei? What happened?"

Yusei looked up at his friend, slightly startled.

"C'mon Yus'. You're not fooling anyone. You gotta talk to someone or whatever it is isn't gonna go away. Crow told me you had some kind of nightmare last week, too. Am I right in thinking that it was the same one?"

Yusei only nodded, staring down at the table and the mug in his hands, still steaming slightly in the candlelight.

"That's what I thought." Kalin nodded, his eyes still focused on the younger boy. "If you don't want to talk to me, that's totally cool. But you gotta talk to someone."

Still staring at his mug, Yusei took a deep breath, let it out with a sigh, and started.

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><p>Author's Notes: Ok so the beginning seems a little extreme... that's most of the reason I don't really like how this turned out anymore. But once again I'm too lazy to fix it. Though I got to thinking about it and the more I thought the less extreme it seemed... Think about it: Yusei never really had the chance the mourn the loss of his parents. When Zero Reverse happened he was too young to understand (or even know) what happened and the few brief times he actually met his father only to have him stripped away again was in the middle of a crisis and he didn't really have the time... but either way you look at it please don't let this chapter stop you from continuing... it gets better I promise^_^ (although I will admit the end is a little cheesy as well but I won't say anything else about that now!)<p>

Well now I'm just rambling so let me just say please review^_^

that is all...


	3. Chapter 2 Shadows of the Past

Author's Notes: A big THANK YOU to the people who reviewed the first chapter^_^ you guys rock my socks (here have a cookie!)

anyway... here's the next chapter... Enjoy^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter Two – Shadows of the Past<strong>

"...and that's it," Yusei concluded.

It was a little after 4:30a.m. as Kalin filled both of their mugs with more hot cocoa for the third time. "Wow." That was all Kalin could say upon hearing Yusei's nightmare. For a few moments it was silent, as the rain had come to a complete stop while Yusei had been talking. Then Kalin whispered, "So what are you gonna do about it?"

"I don't know." Yusei looked away. "That dream - that _nightmare_- it was like looking into the shadows - shadows of the past...you know something's there but you can't quite make out the details."

"Sometimes you have to take a chance and step into those shadows to find what they hold. Whether it's a good thing or not...," he shrugged. "well, you'll never know if you don't get close enough to look."

"But it's the _past_, Kalin. I can't go back to find out what they hold..." Yusei looked back at his blue-haired friend as he spoke.

"It might take awhile, but if you're willing to search high an low, you just might find someone who knew your parents." Kalin's optimism gave Yusei a shadow of hope, and it showed.

"You think it's possible?" Yusei asked doubtfully. "I know I don't have any living relatives; Blister checked that out for me a long time ago..."

Kalin shook his head. "Not family, Yusei. Surely your parents had friends that weren't killed in Zero Reverse. You just have to find them."

"I wouldn't even know how to start." He sounded crushed; the shadow of hope he had just gained drained back out of his voice.

"Hmm. It would help to have friends in high places right about now." Kalin sighed. "Too bad I don't know any of the Senators; they seem to know everything about everyone."

"Senators?" Yusei looked up in surprise. "You mean like Senator Izinski? Akiza's father?"

"Oh hey yeah! I forgot that was her father!" Kalin smiled. "Well, there you are, friend, your answer for a place to start."

"Mmm," Yusei frowned. "I'd hate to impose though; I know her dad's pretty busy most of the time..."

"Well, that looks to be your only option here, Yusei. Unless, of course, you'd rather walk down every street, knocking on every door, asking every person in New Domino and Satellite if they knew your dad." Kalin shook his head. "You don't really got much choice here exactly."

"I guess you're right, Kalin. But what if he can't help me out? What if he doesn't know anyone that knew them?"

"There's no harm in asking. And if he can't, then he can't; you didn't lose anything by it. But if you don't even ask, you stand to lose a great deal."

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><p>"AAAH!" Yusei let out another yelp as he knocked the screwdriver he held in one hand into the other hand for the nth time that afternoon. He was, once again, in Akiza's garage trying to figure out what he needed to fix on her duel runner.<p>

"Yusei, maybe you should take a break," Akiza offered. "Like for the rest of the day."

Yusei sat back on his heels and looked over at Akiza, puzzled. "Why do you say that? I mean, the less time I'm working on it, the longer it's gonna take to fix it."

"You just seem distracted, that's all."

"What makes you think that?"

"I've been counting the number of times you've knocked yourself with your tools. Nineteen times to be exact. That's not normal, Yusei."

"Alright, maybe I am a little distracted," Yusei admitted.

"You wanna talk about it?" Akiza cleared a spot and sat down on the floor next to him.

The raven-haired duelist sighed. "Actually, I needed to ask your dad for a favor... I don't know though; I know he's pretty busy..."

"He's never too busy to help, Yusei." Akiza shook her head. "He has a bunch of meetings this week and won't be home 'til late every night, though. But if you tell me what you wanted to ask him, I could talk to him for you when he gets home. Otherwise, it'll probably be the next week before you'd get the chance."

"Ya know, that's not a bad idea," Yusei responded, nodding once. "That would be very helpful. Thanks, Akiza."

"Sure, no problem. So what was it you wanted to ask?"

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><p>The next day, Akiza was already waiting outside with a big smile, garage door open, when Yusei came to work on her runner. Before Yusei had even unmounted his runner and had a chance to even say, "Hey," Akiza was standing next to him, bouncing up and down, saying, "I have great news for you!" She looked extremely excited and as he climbed off his runner, she explained the reason for it.<p>

"I talked to my dad as soon as he got home last night. He was so eager to help, he spent the rest of the evening on the phone and guess what!" But before Yusei had a chance to guess, Akiza continued, "He's already found someone! Mr. Davis wants to meet with you in person at this address on Friday!" She held out a piece of paper towards him.

Yusei was shocked. He hadn't expected to get any results at all. Or, at the very least, not quite this fast! He just stood dumb-founded in the driveway.

"Uhm, Yusei?" He jerked back to the present and looked over at Akiza. She had brought down the hand that held the paper and was giving him a funny look, her head tilted slightly to one side.

"Sorry, Akiza," he said when he had found his voice again. "I just wasn't expecting it; it kinda caught me off guard."

"But you will go, right?"

"Yeah of course! I wouldn't miss it!" Yusei answered as Akiza handed him the slip of paper with the date, time, and address scrawled across it. He slipped it into the inside pocket of his jacket then continued up the driveway to the waiting runner in the garage. "Be sure to thank your father for me," he added.

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><p>The next few days flew by until Friday. Yusei left mid-morning to be sure he could reach the address located clear on the other side of the city by 1:00p.m. He found the street by 12:38p.m. and turned left, driving slow enough to be able to read the numbers posted in gold on each of the houses. He watched them slowly increased as he continued down the street; 1418...1420...1422... But what was that? The road ahead was blocked by people, news reporters as well as citizens. And - could it be true? - they were gathering around the very house he was headed for! He brought his runner to a halt and pushed forward threw the crowd of people after dismounting. He could hear snatches of the news reports as he went:<p>

"...authorities are not sure at this time exactly what happened..."  
>"...it would appear as though he were murdered..."<br>"...only one thing is sure and that is Mr. Davis is dead..."

"Excuse me!" Yusei called to an SS officer as he reached the barricade. "Can you tell me what happened, please?"

"A man died, can't you see that?" the officer snapped unpleasantly.

"Well, yes, I can see that, but I was supposed to meet Mr. Davis here and - "

The officer interrupted, "Well you won't be meeting him here today or any other, for that matter. It's kind of hard to meet a dead man."

"Could you please tell me what happened to him? I'd kinda like to know if I could," Yusei begged.

The officer could see he was not going to get rid of this kid until he told him. "Look, all I know is that at about 12:20p.m. today, a neighbor called to say she heard yelling here. We had received two calls prior to that about the same thing so we sent a squad car to find out what was going on. As soon as it arrived, two shots were fired from inside the house. The officers sent here broke down the door and found Mr. Davis lying on his living room floor, dead." The man sighed impatiently. "Anything else?"

"Are you sure that's all you know?"

"Even if I did, that would be strictly police business and I wouldn't be allowed to tell you, kid. You got the same spiel as the reporters. But I can tell you this, with complete certainty: This was no accident; Mr. Davis was murdered."

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><p>Author's Notes: <em>Dun-dun-dun!<em> and so the mystery begins! (hehehe i love cliff-hangers^_^) anyway dont forget to review! gracias^_^


	4. Chapter 3 Something Unexpected

Author's Notes: Well, I've gotten a few reviews so I guess I'll keep posting for now... However those reviews had better not stop coming or this will, as I've said before, end up being a dead story. I love to write and all that, but it is kinda nice to know that people are actually reading it... and liking it... or have some constructive criticism to offer...

Anyway.. Enjoy^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter Three – Something Unexpected<strong>

Yusei entered the apartment, letting the door slam shut behind him. It had started to rain when he was still an hour from home, so, as a result, he was soaked to the skin. But he didn't care; he knew full-well that Mr. Davis may have been the only person still alive to have known his father.

"Yus'?" Crow appeared from what seemed like nowhere to Yusei. "Hey, I'm really sorry about all this... I just saw it on the news," the orange-haired male gently told him, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at the TV where the news bulletin was still playing. "I'm really sorry..."

"Yeah," Yusei replied flatly, head bowed, black bangs hanging in front of his eyes. "So am I. But what can you do?"

"You better get out of those wet clothes," Crow commented, changing the subject. "Take a hot shower; it'll make you feel better."

Yusei sighed. "Maybe so." He peeled off his wet jacket and boots and started for the bathroom. A hot shower sounded pretty good after being in the cold rain.

He reached the bathroom, closed the door behind him, and locked it. Leaving his wet clothes in a heap on the floor, he stepped in, pulling the shower curtain closed. He turned the hot water all the way up and stood there letting it rain down on him, not moving. The small space quickly filled with steam, making it difficult to breath; once again, Yusei didn't care. Time past but he took no notice of it until the water temperature started to fall. He had no idea of how much time had elapsed as he stepped out, towel wrapped around his waist. He couldn't put his still-wet clothes back on so he walked back down the hall to his room. As he dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, the rain continued to fall and it did not stop until well after it had pulled him into sleep.

* * *

><p>The raven-haired duelist was in a sullen state for two days following the death of Mr. Davis. At least this time he didn't coup himself up in his room, much to Crow's relief. He simply shuffled around in a daze, not saying more than was required.<p>

It was Crow who informed the others of what had happened; Jack just as uncaring as ever, Kalin and Akiza devastated by the turn of events. When Akiza passed it on to her father, Mr. Izinski spent a few more evenings on the phone, but to no avail; it seemed as though there was no hope left.

* * *

><p>The door opened as Crow entered, returning from the day's work. A few days had past, and, once again, it appeared as though things were returning to normal. He had picked up the mail on his way in and was sorting through it. "Bills... bills... junk... more bills..." Crow sighed. "Can't we ever get anything interesting? ...Hey wait! What's this? Huh... a letter for Yusei...wonder who it's from; there's no return address."<p>

Crow plopped the rest of the mail down on the kitchen table, and headed up to Yusei's room with the strange letter. The door was wide open so Crow looked in to find Yusei lying on his stomach on the bed, head resting on the back of his hands. He appeared to be asleep, but Crow decided to knock on the door frame anyway. As soon as he had heard it, Yusei opened his eyes, turned on his side, then sat up.

"Crow. I didn't hear you some up. What's up?" he asked a little sleepily.

"Sorry to disturb you, buddy, but you got mail," he said holding up the envelope. He went into the room and handed it to his friend. "No return address either."

"That's strange," Yusei agreed, taking the letter and opening it. Inside was a single sheet of computer printer paper with type on it. It read simply:

"Yusei Fudo:  
>If it's answers about your parents you seek, come to the North Central Park in New Domino at exactly 3:00p.m. this Wednesday. Come to the bench under the old oak tree at the heart of the park. There, all will reveal itself."<p>

It was unsigned. Yusei furrowed his brow causing Crow to inquire about the contents of the note. He handed it to his fiery-haired friend to read. "Huh. Strange." Crow shook his head. "You are gonna go, aren't you?"

"I don't know, Crow. It sounds mighty fishy to me." The younger of the two closed his eyes, crossed his arms over his chest, and shook his head as he spoke.

"But you've got to!" Crow protested.

"The last time I followed a lead, a man ended up dead, Crow."

"Yusei, if you don't, you may well miss the last chance you have. You know that as well as I do."

Yusei opened his deep blue eyes and stared into Crow's grey ones. "How did this guy even know I was searching in the first place? That right there makes me suspicious enough to not go."

"Well, this guy is being all mysterious-like so, obviously, for some reason he doesn't want anyone to know who he is or that he knew your parents. So it could be someone Senator Izinski contacted that wouldn't admit to knowing them, or the acquaintance of someone he contacted," Crow reasoned. "So, ya gonna go?"

The raven-haired duelist slowly nodded. "I guess so. If I let this opportunity pass by, I'd never be able to forgive myself."

* * *

><p>2:48p.m, Wednesday.<p>

A tall man dressed in camo carefully placed an old beat-up black photo album on the park bench; an envelope sat on the top with only two words printed in black ink: Yusei Fudo. He glanced at his watch: 2:49p.m. it said now. The tall man turned and disappeared into the bushes to wait.

* * *

><p>2:59p.m.<p>

Yusei stepped down the trail that would lead him to the heart of New Domino's North Central Park. 'There's the clearing up ahead,' he thought as it came into view at the end of the trail. He broke out of the trees and into the small clearing surrounding the old oak tree at its center; the bench mentioned in the note was such that it wrapped around the entire circumference of the massive trunk. Glancing around, he could see no one else there; then his gaze fell upon the old album sitting on the bench directly in front of him. Cautiously, he went forward, picked up the white envelope, and opened it to reveal a single white sheet identical to the one he had received in the mail a few days before. This time it read:

"Yusei Fudo:  
>I hope this provides more answers than questions. Good luck!"<p>

Again, it was unsigned. Yusei picked up the album, looked around once more trying to find who had left it, then started back down the trail he had emerged from a few moments earlier, all the while being watched by a pair of eyes hidden in the shrubbery.

* * *

><p>When he returned, Jack and Crow were there, waiting.<p>

"Well that was fast," Crow commented. "What happened?"

"Never even saw the guy," Yusei responded. "All I found was this and another note like the first." He held out the beat-up album for his friends to see.

"At least that's something right?" Crow noticed his friend's hesitation as Yusei sat as the table, placing it on top, but not opening it. "What are you waiting for?"

"Hm. Nothing I guess." With those words, he flipped over the cover and started what would become hours upon hours of searching photo after photo for some kind of answer. How this stranger had so many images, Yusei couldn't guess.

The photos went back quite some time, to the first days of his mom and dad's friendship. They had evidently met at Duel Academy as many of the first pages had them in a uniform similar to Akiza's. There were also many other people in the photos, not just his parents; it was fortunate that Crow had found a picture of his parents in the old Momentum so he already knew what they looked like. Barbecues, parties, swimming in pools and lakes, dueling tournaments... it was all there. And then they changed. His mother in a strapless, flowing, plain yet elegant, white gown... His father in a black tuxedo: photos from their wedding. There was something unsettling about two of his father's groomsmen, but Yusei wasn't entirely sure what. He shrugged it off and turned the page to find photos of their honeymoon on a sunny beach somewhere.

There was a time span of missing photos after that, though. The next page after the honeymoon contained images of his mother with a very round belly: she was pregnant with Yusei! There were also images from an ultra sound that depicted him curled up and sucking the thumb of his right hand.

He turned the page to find dark blue eyes staring back from images of himself shortly after his birth. Page after page showed himself as a baby being held by his parents and by people Yusei assumed to be relatives and friends of his parents'.

At the top of another page, he was in for a surprise. The top photo showed three men, Yusei's father in the center. The other two Yusei recognized as two of the groomsmen from the wedding photo. But this time he realized what was so unsettling about them.

"It can't be... It just can't be..." His eyes went wide as the realization sunk in.

"Yus'? Everything ok?" Crow inquired, seeing his friends expression that reflected his words of surprise. Yusei's only response was to continue staring at the photo before his eyes. Crow ventured closer and looked over Yusei's shoulder, following his eyes to the first image on the page. "No way!" Crow stood dumb-founded, staring at the photo, wearing an expression to match Yusei's. "That's... ah!"

Jack, who had been sitting on the couch, stood as he saw the response from his two friends. "What's going on over here?" he asked as, he too, drew near to the table. He stood gazing over Yusei's right shoulder, as Crow was on the left. After a moment, he also had an expression on his face to mirror Crow and Yusei's; the blond couldn't believe what he was seeing!

"No! That's...that's impossible!"

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: mwahahahaha! yet another cliff hanger^_^ ...As always please review!<p> 


	5. Chapter 4 Connections

Author's Notes: FYI: this'll be the last time I update for awhile... I'm headed to a church youth conference tomorrow (get to miss a day and a half of school yay^_^) and it goes til Saturday and I don't know what time I'll be back...

So two of my amazing reviewers have been guessing the identities of the other two people in the photo... Let me just say this now: I feel so very evil (mwahahahaha!)... anyway keep reading and you'll find out why! both AshxGlace4EVER and AeosUltima14 guessed the two others to be Rex and Roman Goodwin... So go ahead; read on and find out!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four - Connections<strong>

"I don't believe it!" the blond exclaimed.

Yusei somehow managed to recover his voice and responded, "Believe it, Jack. Our dads were friends! Yours, mine, and Crow's."

The image before their eyes was of Yusei's father in the center with his arms draped over the shoulders of two other men; one that was the spitting-image of Crow, the other that of a man who looked almost identical to Jack.

Crow shook his head in awe. "That's... that's... gosh, I don't think there's a word to describe this... oh man..." Crow stared at the image of his father. It was unmistakable; the same orange, spiky hair - though much shorter, the same grey eyes, the same smile; all were reflected in the photo. About the only differences Crow could see were the absence of any criminal marks and piercings.

It was same with Jack; almost a mirror reflection of himself. Blond hair, two strands in the front longer than the rest, violet eyes, even a small earring in each ear. The only difference? His father was wearing a big toothy smile.

Yusei, too, was the spitting image of his father. Raven hair - though his father did not have the same blond highlights, blue eyes - though Yusei's were darker, the smile an exact replica.

None of the three could deny what they saw before them. As if to emphasize this, Yusei slipped the photo from its plastic sleeve and turned it over. Scrawled in smudged cursive were three names: Hogan, Fudo, Atlas; the first names had been smudged to the point they were unreadable. But now there could be not even the slightest shadow of doubt.

"I wonder if there's some way to find out about this photo," Yusei mused aloud what they were all thinking.

"This guy went to great lengths to give that album to you without having to see you face-to-face," Crow pointed out. "So it wouldn't be an easy task even if we knew where to start."

"'We'?" Yusei raised an eyebrow and looked over at his friend.

"Well, yeah," Jack confirmed. "You don't thing the two of us would miss an opportunity to find out about our parents too, did you?"

"I guess not," Yusei answered, looking back at the photo in his hand. "Let's take it to Blister. Maybe he'll have some way of finding out who wrote on the back of this."

* * *

><p>"I hate to ask another favor of you, Blister, but you're the only person I know that might be able to get something out of nothing." Yusei, Crow, and Jack had jut entered the main room of Blister's apartment. It was the morning following their find, and all were anxious to see if Blister could help.<p>

"Don't mind a bit," Blister responded, sitting down in a swivel chair at his computer. "What can I do for you?" Yusei handed him the photo and watched as his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh. Wow."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Yusei agreed. "There's hand writing on the back, and that's where you come in. I don't suppose there's anyway - "

" - I could scan it in and figure out whose writing is on the back?" Blister cut in, finishing the sentence Yusei started. "Guess what, you're in luck! I most certainly can!" With that, he spun his chair around to face the computer and started typing rapidly.

"Really?" Crow asked, obviously surprised by his answer. Blister simply nodded and continued typing. After a moment he stopped and scanned in the back of the photo.

"This might take awhile; it goes through everything that's ever been signed to try and find a match. Good thing for us everything is in an online database now. If this guy had ever signed for so much as a UPS package, we'll find him," Blister assured them. It didn't happen to take as long as he thought: after a few minutes, a loud BEEP! sounded from the monitor. "Well, that was fast. There's the guy." He clicked the link for the man's profile.

Yusei, Crow, and Jack crowded around Blister and his computer monitor to see. On the screen was a photo registered to an Albert H. Wacha, of 4082 West 802nd Street. Yusei jotted down the name and address on a near-by notepad, then tore it off.

"Thanks a ton, Blister!" Yusei called out as they headed for the door.

"No problem!" he called back after them. "Let me know how it turns out!"

* * *

><p>The three turbo duelists pulled up to a large white house and stopped. It was two stories tall with a wide porch stretched across the front.<p>

"Looks like Mr. Wacha doesn't do too bad for himself," Crow commented. Yusei and Jack nodded in agreement. "Doesn't look anyone's home though, either." He was right; the garage door was standing open with no car or other vehicle in sight, and no lights shown from any of the windows. This assumption was further proven correct when the three climbed the steps to the front door, rang the bell, and had no one answer.

"What now?" Jack asked.

"We wait, I guess," Yusei replied.

They didn't have to wait long before a burgundy car came down the street and pulled straight into the open garage. The man who climbed out was wearing camo and matched the photo perfectly. But when he saw the boys on his front porch, his face went white as he recognized all three of them. He started to turn, as if to run, and was about to call out something, but before he could, a forest green car sped past, two shots being fired from a pistol; both found their mark in Mr. Wacha. The car was gone before anyone had a chance to blink, much less get the plate number.

Yusei and Crow rushed down to the fallen man, while Jack called the police and an ambulance. By the time help had arrived, it was too late; Mr. Wacha was dead.

One by one, an SS officer pulled Yusei, Jack, and Crow aside to hear their stories of what had happened. They explained everything, not that it would make a difference. Another man lay dead and, once again, the event created more questions than answers.

"Well, I guess that's that," Jack sighed, sounding slightly disappointed. "Another dead end."

"I'm gonna take the long way home," Yusei stated as he mounted his runner, pulling his helmet on. "I'll see you guys later."

"Uhm, okay," Crow responded. "Everything alright? ...Well, besides the obvious..."

"I just have some thinking to do." With that, he sped off down the street in the same direction they had come from not long before.

Jack and Crow sat a minute longer, both wondering if they should follow him, before Crow voiced this concern.

Jack sighed. "No. I think he'll be alright; he just needs some time alone, and, sometimes, on a duel runner is the best place. Let's go."

* * *

><p>The buildings of New Domino City flashed by on either side of Yusei's vision. For quite some time, he didn't think about anything, not even where he was headed; he simply kept his focus on staying on the road. But sooner or later, he knew, he would have to some to grips with the fact that these two murders were not coincidental; someone had something to hide. But what? What could be so terrible that someone was willing to kill to protect his secret? And why now? Why would the killer wait to strike until he started asking about his parents? So many questions! And, unfortunately, Yusei didn't have the answer to any of them.<p>

He turned off the main interstate onto some deserted back roads in a rather run-down section of Domino to avoid the rush hour traffic. As the questions continued to circle in his mind, he suddenly knew what the connecting piece of the puzzle was: himself. This killer had waited to strike because he thought himself safe - until Yusei started asking around. So this 'secret' must have something to do with his parents, and the only people still alive to have known about it were Mr. Davis and Mr. Wacha. Some past crime of this killer, maybe; one that, for some reason, anyone who knew was sworn to secrecy about upon the threat of death. After all, how better to keep them shut up than to kill them? The thought sent a chill down his spine, despite the summer heat.

Yusei could now see an intersection not far in front of him, with stop signs on the cross street. But one thing he saw too late. As he began crossing the intersection, a forest green car squealed it's tires as it sped away from the stop sign. His eyes went wide as he realized what was about to happen and that it was too late to avoid it. The car slammed into the side of Yusei's runner, the impact sending him flying. The pavement rushed up towards him, then impact. He could feel his right arm connect with the rough street a split second before the rest of him. For that instant before the rest of him hit, pain rushed up his arm into his shoulder; he was sure it was broken. But as soon as his head crashed down, he could no longer feel anything as the world went black before his eyes and he slipped into unconsciousness.

The green car didn't stop, didn't even hesitate. With another squeal from the tires, it raced off into the dusk, leaving Yusei sprawled face down in the middle of the completely deserted street.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: <em>Dun-dun-dun<em>! Yet another cliff-hanger^_^

Haha gotcha didn't I with the whole photo thing? PLOT TWIST! Hehehe... You'll learn to see that I love plot twists as much as I love cliff-hangers^_^ So hang on tight! This story is only just beginning!

(FYI: As I was reading this I realized that I don't really explain some parts of this... like how that Yusei's father put the album together but it's Mr. Wacha's handwriting on the back of the photo... don't know if anyone caught that or not but know you know lol^_^ So if, as you are reading, you see something like that, feel free to tell me because I'm going to add a bonus chapter explaining stuff like this at the very end...)

(Don't forget to review, please and thank you^_^ cookies to the three of you who regularly do^_^)


	6. Chapter 5 Discovery and Mystery

Author's Notes: Yay for reviews^_^ once again, cookies to you all (if I could actually give you cookies...) humm... not really anything to say about this one... Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five – Discovery and Mystery<strong>

"It's getting late, Jack. I'm really starting to worry." Jack only shrugged at Crow's mention of the late hour. "You can't tell me you're not. You can't tell me he's been driving around out there for over six hours. I'm going out to look." Crow grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

"You realize how stupid that is?" Jack questioned the younger duelist. "He could be anywhere in New Domino or Satellite. You'll never find him." Crow stopped in his tracks and turned to face the blond. "Besides, I'm sure he's fine."

"Well, we'll just see, won't we?" Crow spat back. "There are tracking chips in out runners now, remember? All I have to do is let the GPS find his runner and let it guide me to wherever he is."

"Fine. Whatever. I'm going to bed. Have fun on your wild goose chase." Jack stormed out of the kitchen area leaving Crow standing alone.

As soon as he had started up his runner, Crow brought up the map of New Domino City on the screen. In the upper left hand corner, there was an orange pulsing light next to a light blue one: his runner and Jack's. 'That's the best part about these tracking chips,' Crow thought. 'Even if the runner isn't running, you can still find it.' In the lower right hand corner, a red light gently pulsed. "There he is... quite a ways away too. Well, better get started 'cause that red dot isn't gonna get any closer to me!" Crow mused aloud to himself as he realized that Yusei's location wasn't changing. With that, he sped out of the garage and into the city-lit night.

* * *

><p>One Hour Later.<p>

"Get off here?" Crow questioned aloud as he read the directions posted in the margin of the screen. "But that area's so run-down - derelict really. No one even lives here anymore. Why would Yus' go down there?" But seeing as that's where the GPS was pointing him, Crow didn't see any other choice and turned off the interstate. This part of town was much less lit then the rest since there was no reason to keep up maintenance anymore. The roads were also full of potholes, forcing Crow to reduce his speed greatly since he couldn't see far enough ahead for normal speed.

Before he had gone much further, two figures were caught in the headlights of his runner; one lying on the ground, the other kneeling over the first. As he got closer, Crow found he recognized them both: Kalin and Yusei! Crow slammed his runner to a halt beside them.

"Kalin! What happened? Is he okay?" Crow cried, rushing over as he yanked off his helmet.

"I don't know," Kalin answered. "I just found him myself. I called an ambulance, but they refuse to drive down here; too hazardous with these depleted roads. Nothing's broken at least; how he managed that, I don't know, since it looks like a hit-and-run."

"W-what should we do?" the signer stammered.

Kalin thought for a moment then replied, "You take Yusei back to your place; I'll take care of his runner. I'll see you back there in a little bit."

"Right." Crow shoved his helmet back on, and Kalin helped him lift Yusei onto the back of his runner. As soon as Crow hit the interstate, he put the pedal-to-the-medal, trying to save as much time as possible without driving too recklessly.

Less than an hour later, Crow pulled back into the garage. Knowing he couldn't lift Yusei himself, Crow ran inside the apartment and hollered, "Jack! JACK! Get down here! Yusei's hurt!" He didn't wait to see if Jack had heard him or not but rushed back into the garage. He carefully lowered Yusei off his runner and laid him on the ground. He turned as he heard footsteps behind him on the stairs.

"What happened?" the blond demanded, rushing over. As he knelt down beside the raven-haired boy in front of him, an old, beat-up pick-up truck turned into the driveway and stopped; Kalin climbed out of the driver's side door. Another man opened the passenger door and followed Kalin into the garage. Both Crow and Jack assumed him to be a doctor from the white lab coat he wore. "What happened?" Jack demanded again, this time directing his words at the blue-haired man.

"I'll tell you what I found out later," he replied. "But right now, we need to get him inside."

Kalin and the man who had come with him entered the kitchen area where Crow and Jack were seated, waiting. The latter two had been right; the man with Kalin was, indeed, a doctor: Dr. Brueski. Crow stood as they entered, his chair scraping the floor as it was pushed back from the table. He wanted to ask about his friend, but the words seemed to stick in his throat.

Sensing Crow's unease, Dr. Brueski answered simply, "He'll be just fine. He was extremely fortunate; it should have been much worse than it is. His right elbow was dislocated, but that would appear to be the worst of the damage. He'll be plenty sore and bruised for quite awhile, though. Doubtless, that helmet of his saved his life; though he's still unconscious right now."

All were silent for a moment. Then a thought occurred to Crow.

"Uhm, Kalin?" he asked. "What were you doing in that area anyway? I mean, no one lives there anymore and, I don't know, it just seems kinda strange to me..."

Kalin's jaw dropped open slightly. "Uhhhh... Well... I was... Uhm..."

Crow raised an eyebrow at him. "You were... What?"

"Alright," Kalin sighed. "I probably shouldn't be telling you this, and I could end up in a heap of trouble for it, but I can't come up with an excuse to use so I guess the only thing left to tell is the truth. Sector Security recruited me to help track down the car that was involved in the killing of Mr. Wacha."

"They WHAT?" Crow and Jack uttered at the same time. Then Jack continued, "Why would they recruit a former criminal? No offense, Kalin, but you don't really have the best track record, here."

"I guess they figured who better to know where a killer might be hiding than a former criminal, himself? Anyway, I agreed to help and since that area was so run-down, I figured this guy - or guys - might think no one would look there for them. I went after dark since it'd be easier to find them if they were stupid enough to turn on some kind of light. That's when I found Yusei."

"Mmm." Crow nodded his head. "Don't suppose you happened to find anything else, huh?"

Kalin shook his head. "Actually, that's another piece of bad news. I found the car alright; but it had been abandoned. That's also how I figured Yusei's accident was a hit-and-run; the front end of the car was completely totaled. It's a miracle he's still alive after the hit he must have taken. Not to mention we can't even run the plates; they'd been stripped off. So there's no chance of finding this guy."

"Whoa, wait, back up," Jack remarked. "So let me get this straight: the same guy who shot Mr. Wacha also tried to kill Yusei?"

"Mmm. It would appear that way, yes." Kalin nodded.

"Ah man..." Crow sat back down. "But why?"

"That I don't know. And we may never know now, either."

"If you'll excuse me," Mr. Brueski interrupted, "I should be getting back to the boy's room. Someone should be there when he wakes up." He nodded once, briefly, before departing their company.

Crow closed his eyes and shook his head. "I just don't get it... What is going _on _here?"

Kalin sighed. "I wish I knew, Crow; I wish I knew."

* * *

><p>Black. That was all Yusei could see; he blinked a few times, straining his eyes, trying to make out anything in the darkness. But what was this? A speck of light appeared head of him, growing slowly, steadily closer. The closer it came, the more detail he began to see within it: it was not a light, but a being with white wings. Soon, his eyes grew wide with surprise and wonder as he recognized the figure before him.<p>

Before Yusei could say anything, the other figure spoke. "I'm sorry for laying these burdens upon you, my son," the voice of a man apologized. "I never would have chosen this path for you, but that choice was not in my control. Everything should have been so much better than it was - and is.

"I am so sorry."

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: ... Yet another part I'm not really that happy with... Come to think of it, I don't really like any more of this until the end of chapter seven... Ah well; you win some, you lose some...<p>

(And I noticed yet another _odd_ thing that needs explaining at the end of this story... Don't forget to let me know if you see something that needs explaining... Either I'll respond back with 'Keep reading; it's coming!' or 'Oh... darn it. I'll end that to my list for the extra chapter...')

As always, please review...


	7. Chapter 6  Secrets and Pain

Author's Notes: Hmmm... another not-so-great chapter in my opinion... Ah well...

(Once again, HUGE thank you to the people who review^_^ It means a lot to me!)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six – Secrets and Pain<strong>

"Father!" Yusei whispered, eyes widening further.

"Mm." The man nodded once, his blue eyes shining with a brilliant light.

"But what's happening? Why is it happening? Two people have been killed and... I don't even know what happened to me."

"I cannot tell you every answer you seek, though I wish I could. However, I can say this: you are only unconscious, my son, like before when we met," his father explained.

"But you saved me then... does that mean this time - ?" Yusei couldn't finish his sentence.

"Yes," his father replied, reading his only son's mind. "Once again, it was not your time. I suppose I am, what you would call, your 'guardian angel'. Who was it, did you think, that second bullet was meant for? Both were not meant for Mr. Wacha, Yusei; the second was meant for you. And as for that traffic jam you got stuck in on your way to Mr. Davis' home... When I said I had never left you, my son, I meant it. Though you can't see me all the time, I am still your father, and I will still always protect you. Your duel with Kalin when he was a Dark signer... Meeting Alex in the Facility... Even when you simply fell down and scraped your knees... I was there with you, guiding you, protecting you.

"I will never leave you alone, Yusei," he whispered as he began to fade into the distance toward a greater and brighter light than the one surrounding him.

"Wait! Don't go! I have so many questions!" Yusei called desperately, breaking into a run.

"As for why this is happening, "Dr. Fudo answered, his voice fading with him, "look to the photos Mr. Wacha gave you, Yusei. They hold more than they appear.

"I love you, my son." With those words, he disappeared completely inside the light.

Yusei, determined to follow though he knew he couldn't, kept running towards the light, and then, to his surprise, was inside it. Once he had stepped in, he never again wanted to leave; it caused such life as he had never felt before to run through his veins, through his entire being. But just as quickly as this feeling had begun, the light began to fade until all was black once again.

Yusei was now vaguely aware that his eyes were again closed and he was lying on something soft. His senses were slowly returning to him and now he could hear someone moving about, as well. The next sense he could have done without: pain. It started as just a slight throbbing in his right elbow, but it quickly escalated in intensity until it burned. The pulsing sensation expanded from his elbow down to the palm of his hand and up into his shoulder. Not only that, but his whole body ached and his head pounded. Never before would he have thought he would wish for unconsciousness.

He slowly opened his sapphire eyes to a dimly lit room. At first, all he could make out through his blurred vision were shades of grey; no recognizable objects. He closed them again for a moment and when he reopened them, his eyes began to focus until he could recognize the room as his own.

"Yus'?" He shifted his eyes towards the voice and found his fiery-haired friend, who immediately came to Yusei's side. "How ya feeling?" Crow asked as he perched on the bed's edge.

Yusei closed his eyes again and swallowed hard; even the slight shift from Crow sitting on the edge was enough to intensify the pain times ten.

Crow winced as if the pain was his own. "That good, huh?" He stood up. "I'll go see what I can do about it." Yusei, eyes still closed, nodded almost imperceptibly as Crow turned to leave. It took only a moment for Crow to return, pill bottle in one hand and a glass of water in the other. As carefully as he could manage, he slid an arm under Yusei's shoulders to lift him slightly so he could take the medicine. The pain of such a small movement was almost unbearable.

"Crow," he asked after his head had been laid back down on the pillow, "what happened?"

The orange-haired male shook his head. "I wish I could tell you, buddy, but we don't know either. Kalin has a pretty reasonable theory, but that's about all." Crow then proceeded to relay the conversation that had taken place almost two days before with Kalin.

"This doesn't add up, Crow. I don't know anything so why would someone try to kill me?" Even as he asked, Yusei already knew it was true by what his father had told him.

"I don't have an answer for that either, but what other reason could there be for what happened?"

Yusei sighed and, before he realized what he was saying, told Crow, "I know it's true, that someone tried to kill me. I just don't know why."

"What?" Crow blinked, puzzled. "Whadaya mean you 'know'? We were just speculating..."

"I know because my father told me." Yusei continued telling his friend what he had seen. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to talk it over after the pain medication kicked in and made Yusei sleepy.

The subject would be left untouched for some time after.

* * *

><p>One Week Later.<p>

No one had mentioned anything from the past month to Yusei since Crow had talked to him after he'd woken up. He'd been in so much pain that he had been constantly asleep due to the effects of the medication so no one had said much at all about anything to him in the past week.

On this particular day, the whole gang was present at the small makeshift apartment. Jack was reading the paper and sipping coffee as always; Kalin was attempting to give Leo pointers as he dueled his twin sister, Luna; Crow and Akiza were laughing at Leo's various reactions as he ignored Kalin and continued to lose duel after duel because of it.

Out of nowhere, Jack stated, "Well, look who's finally up and about." Everyone turned their attention towards the blond at his words to see someone they hadn't expected.

"Yusei!" the twins exclaimed excitedly, jumping to their feet from where they had been sitting on the floor and rushing over to give him a hug. As they collided with him, Yusei winced but kept smiling, as he was happy to see them as well. Without his jacket on, Yusei's injuries were still quite obvious. His arms and neck were still bruised black, blue, purple, and, where he had started healing, dull shades of yellow and green. Crow knew that underneath his shirt, his chest and back almost certainly looked much worse.

"Hey, be careful!" Crow warned them.

Akiza spoke up then, to Yusei, "You sure you should be up yet? I mean, there's no hurry or anything, and you did take quite a hit."

"I feel much better, Akiza," Yusei reassured her. "Still a little sore, but I'm fine." He shook his head and gave a small smile. "Besides, I couldn't stand the thought of staying in bed any longer."

"We're glad you're ok!" Luna chimed.

"Yeah," Leo added. "Especially Akiza, I'm sure! You'd have thought you were dying, the way she talked!"

Yusei glanced over to where Akiza was seated on the couch; she only blushed and ducked her head, averting her eyes. He couldn't help but smile, knowing she had more than likely been the most concerned of all his friends. More than once when he had been only half asleep, he had heard her talking to Crow in the doorway, asking how he was doing. "Oh really," he responded. "Well at least I know some one was concerned about me." Akiza looked up at Yusei, and the raven-haired youth winked back, bringing a small smile to the girl's lips.

All were silent for a moment until Kalin spoke up. "So, what's the next move?"

"What do you mean?" Yusei questioned.

"Ah, c'mon," Kalin returned. "You can't tell me you're giving up the search."

Yusei sighed. "Actually, Kalin, I am."

"WHAT?" they all gasped.

"B - b - but you can't!" Kalin protested. "Just think about it for awhile!"

"Oh, but I am, " Yusei answered. "I've had plenty of time to think about it, and it's because I've had time to think that I've made this decision. Two people have been killed, Kalin; how many more have to die before you see it's not worth it? I just wish I had realized it sooner; it took my own injury to make me see it's just not worth the price anymore. I guess some secrets are meant to stay hidden in the shadows, never uncovered." Yusei closed his sapphire eyes, ducked his head so his dark bangs covered them.

"It's over, Kalin. I'm done searching."

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Don't worry people; the show's not over yet! But you'll have to keep reading to find out more^_^<p>

As always, reviews are greatly loved and appreciated^_^


	8. Chapter 7 Back To Normal

Author's Notes: So AeosUltima14 asked about more faithshipping... Aeos, here's what you've been waiting for!

(WARNING: can you say _**major cheesiness**_? heh-heh don't worry this is as cheesy as any story of mine will pry ever get...)

(Also sorry it's so short... this is pry the shortest thing I've ever written.)

Hope you all enjoy^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven – Back to Normal<strong>

"There!" Yusei proclaimed putting the last panel back in place on Akiza's duel runner. "I think that should do it!"

"Thanks, again, for all the time you've put in on it, Yusei," Akiza repeated for the nth time.

Yusei chuckled softly. "You can stop saying that, Akiza. I really don't mind..."

"Still... You've spent how many weeks on this one problem now?"

"Only a few," he replied.

"Well, I still appreciate it, Yusei. ...More than you may realize."

"Oh really." The raven-haired duelist raised an eyebrow as he stood up, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do tell then, since it's 'more than I realize'."

"Uhm... Well... It's just... Uh..." The rose duelist blushed. She hadn't expected him to ask, and she certainly couldn't tell Yusei she had a crush on him!

Yusei took a step forward, chuckling. He placed his hands gently on her upper arms, saying quietly, "I think it's for the same reason I don't mind." With that, he leaned in closer and kissed Akiza's forehead ever so lightly.

Akiza's eyes widened and a small gasp escaped; she hadn't expected that either! Could it really be true that he felt the same way? She didn't have to wonder long.

"So, how 'bout we go get a smoothie or something to celebrate?" he asked.

The only response to his question she could manage was a nod and a smile; she couldn't help it; he was so... so... oh how to describe what she thought of the man now holding her hands in his!

* * *

><p>When Yusei returned home that evening, only one thing was on his mind, courtesy of Akiza. The afternoon had been wonderfully spent skating through the park, but when the two of them had stopped to take a break, Akiza brought up the events of the past month and a half.<p>

**Flashback**

"So what's gonna happen now? With the whole 'trying to figure out your past' thing, I mean," Akiza inquired as they sat slurping smoothies on a park bench.

"Nothing." He shook his head. "I'm not going to risk anyone else's life; it's not worth that to me."

"But what about what your dad told you? About how those photos hold more than we think?"

"I'll hold on to the album, Akiza, if that's what you mean," Yusei sighed. "But I'm done looking; I'm not going to search them for whatever it was my father meant."

**End Flashback**

Yusei picked up the old, beat-up black photo album he had received from Mr. Wacha and wondered for a moment what could possibly have been so important for this man to risk his life to set something right. He shook his head, though, and thought, 'No. No one else is going to die because of this.' With that, he knelt beside his bed and carefully shoved the album underneath, into the waiting shadows.

* * *

><p>'That's right, Yusei,' Dr. Brueski thought as he spied on the boy via hidden cameras. 'Forget about the album; forget about dear dad's words. But if, by chance, they should come to your mind, and you dwell upon them, and decide to return to your search, be prepared Signer; I'll be watching you.<p>

'And next time, you won't be so fortunate as to survive; that I can guarantee!'

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: See why it can't be over yet? MWAHAHAHAHA! (I love cliff-hangers and plot twists! It's even better when the two are combined! lol^_^)<p>

As always, I loooooooove reviews^_^


	9. Chapter 8 Past, Present, Future

Author's Note: Well, here we go again... Enjoy^_^

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight – Past, Present, Future<strong>

_Approximately 18 Years Ago_.

"Quite frankly, I don't want to be apart of this anymore; I did not realize you would go to such lengths, and I will not condone this course of action." Dr. Fudo stood facing his colleague's extravagant oak desk. He spoke in an even tone as to not let his anger about recent events show to the man seated on the other side.

"No one said you had to like it, Hiero," the man stated, folding his hands on the desktop. "But it's a little late to be backing out, don't you think?"

"I'm not backing out," the doctor responded. "I'm telling you to call it off completely; it has gone too far."

"Well, just as you say, 'it has gone too far,' so I must say, 'it cannot be reversed' for that very reason. It has already begun and there is no turning back now."

"Don't you understand?" Hiero brought his hands slamming into the desktop. "Innocent people's lives will be destroyed if you continue! This is not what I had in mind when you told me about this whole thing!"

"My, my, temper, temper! How does your wife ever stand it?"

Dr. Fudo straightened up, regained his composure, stated firmly, "If you wish to continue in this madness, you will be continuing alone. I'll not have any part of it." He turned to leave.

"You may wish to reconsider that." He stopped in his tracks at the other man's words. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to your family, would you?"

"If you EVER bring your hand against my family...!" He turned back around, murder in his blue eyes.

"Oh, there will be no threat to them," the man spoke plainly. "Provided you speak of this little operation to no one. And be sure to pass that little message on to Hogan and Atlas and anyone else following you out; I know you're just the spokesman, and they feel the same.

"I know I can trust you to keep silent about all of this. After all, you wouldn't want any harm to come to that precious baby boy your wife is expecting. When is she due again? It's less than a month, right?" The man chuckled, an evil sound.

Without another word, Dr. Fudo turned on his heel and stormed out of the small office.

Kale Hogan, Marc Atlas, and two other men stood as the door slammed shut. "I take it that didn't go well," Kale assumed from the anger still evident in his friend's eyes.

"He refuses to abort this operation," Hiero spat. "And what's more, he threatened our families as insurance."

"Of all the low-down, rotten scum!" Marc exclaimed in a heavy Australian accent. "I've got a wife and son, and so does he! How could he possibly...?"

"That's exactly why: because he knows the love he has for his own family, and that we love ours even more so. I'm so sorry I got all of you mixed up in this," Hiero apologized, running a hand through his spiky black hair. "Now I've not only endangered the lives of my own wife and son, but all of yours as well; not to mention the number of people in the city - _in the world_ - it will affect."

"Hey, don't blame yourself, doc," Kale told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We didn't have to join in, but we chose to. None of us knew this was gonna happen. We couldn't have; he didn't tell us everything he was planning, the slime-ball."

"So what should we do?" Marc asked, changing the subject. "We can't simply sit back and let this continue."

"You're right, Marc," Dr. Fudo replied. "We can't. We were the ones to set this in motion, so we must be the ones to stop it. How? We'll take the key to this whole thing: the Yusei Particle."

"Whoa, wait a sec!" one of the other men, Jon Davis, exclaimed. "We can't just walk off with it! We'd have to have something to contain it with - provided we could even get to it in the first place."

"You forget, Jon, I'm the one who discovered it," he answered. "Therefore, I know where it is, what the lock code is, and how to contain it. So what do you say, boys? Are you with me?"

The four others nodded.

* * *

><p><em>Two Weeks Later<em>.

"He looks just like you," Kara Fudo whispered to her husband; Hiero Fudo smiled as his son reached up and curled his tiny fingers around one of his father's. Sapphire blue eyes gazed up from under raven hair; "Ah, little Yusei," his father whispered. "Someday you'll unite people as different as night and day, just like that particle..."

A knock sounded on the open hospital room door. Both husband and wife turned their gaze towards it. The man there wore a dark suit and sunglasses, though he was inside. "Dr. Fudo?" the man inquired.

"Yes?"

"I was told I would find you here. Congratulations on the birth of your son, by the way."

"Thank you. So what can I do for you, sir?"

"Actually, it's what I can do for you, Doctor," the man responded. "I work for the Director, and I just happen to have a government position to offer you. We understand that you are in possession of a particle that would be of great use to the city. The Director would like you to continue research as part of a team - one that you would head up, of course."

"I will most certainly consider this honor, but I would appreciate more information, as well, before I make a decision."

"Of course, sir. The Director figured you would." The representative stepped forward and handed him a business card. "You can contact him at any time with any questions you may have. Good day, sir; madame." With that, he turned and exited the room.

"Hmm," he mused. "This may be worth looking into. That particle isn't doing much good now, just sitting there, anyway."

"Besides," he added, smiling at his son. "Daddy needs someway to take care of his wife and son."

* * *

><p><em>Present Day, One Month Later<em>.

"I mean, yeah, I understand why he's not gonna keep searching, but not knowing this link between Yus's parents and mine and Jack's is gonna drive me crazy!" Akiza had come by to see Yusei, but he had run out on some errands so she was chatting with Crow in the mean time. They had been talking for several minutes and it had slowly slid to the events from a month ago.

"It's probably going to drive him crazy, too, Crow." Akiza shook her head. "He just doesn't want to see anyone else hurt over this. He already feels guilty enough for the death of those two men; it's not his fault, but he still feels responsible."

"But what if there's no one left to hurt by this?"

"There's always someone that could potentially end up hurt. Even if there's no one else that knows this 'secret', Yusei was still injured - almost killed - even though he didn't know anymore than you or I did. ... He might not be so lucky next time."

"Ya know what, Akiza? I'm gonna keep looking anyway! My dad might not have had anything to do with that whole mess, so why not? ... Uh, only problem is I have no idea where to start."

"Don't look at me! I don't think it's a good idea, so I'm not getting involved this time; you're on your own, Crow!"

Before he could protest, they both heard the sound of an engine and, a second later, saw Yusei's bright red duel runner pull into the garage.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Akiza," the raven-haired youth apologized. "I didn't think it would take that long; thought I could be back before you got here, but I guess not."

"That's ok!" she responded, shoving on the helmet he tossed to her. "Let's get going, though!"

"Hm." He nodded as she climbed on behind him. "See ya later, Crow!"

The orange-haired male lifted a hand as if to wave, and then they were gone, riding away to somewhere Crow didn't know. 'Hmm... Maybe Jack will have an idea when he gets back,' he thought. 'Til then, I guess I should get busy delivering these packages...'

* * *

><p>"Yes? Can I help you, boys?" The woman who answered the door had a soft voice; she appeared to be in her late 40's and was slim in figure with dark violet hair pulled back in a messy bun.<p>

"Mrs. Wacha?" Crow asked.

"That's right," she answered.

"You don't know us," Crow started, "but we were hoping you could help us with something."

"Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested." She began shutting the door.

"No! Wait! We just have a few questions for you!" Jack exclaimed; she stopped, the door a few inches from the frame. "If you have the time, that is..."

"I suppose that would depend on what you're asking."

Crow and Jack exchanged a knowing glace before Crow continued. "Well... you see..." he sighed. "It's about your late husband."

Mrs. Wacha narrowed her eyes, menacingly. "What about him?"

"We have reason to believe he knew a few people, and I guess we were hoping maybe you knew them, too," Crow stated cautiously. "We can't give you a first name for either, but the last names are Atlas and Hogan. Please, if you know anything..."

She opened the door all the way now, her gaze softening. "I recognize those names. Marc Atlas and Kale Hogan were friends and co-workers of my husband, but I'm afraid I can't tell you much more than that about them."

"Wait, you said they were co-workers?" Jack asked.

"Mm." She nodded. "My husband, Marc, Kale, and two other men: Hiero Fudo and Jon Davis. They worked together on a project for a while, but the five of them split when they found another man, their 'boss' you might say, had evil intentions. My husband never told me more than that, and I didn't ask."

"Then it looks like no one will ever know what was going on," Jack growled. "All who knew are dead now."

"Except the killer, who I can now assume was probably their 'boss'," Crow added. Jack nodded.

"Now it's my turn to ask questions," the widow stated. She narrowed her eyes again at the boys. "Why are you so interested in my husband's work and his friends?"

"Ma'am, my name is Crow Hogan, and this is Jack Atlas. We have reason to believe Kale and Marc were our fathers." Her eyes grew wide in sudden recognition of the boys on her front porch. "They were killed when the city was split so we never knew them; Yusei Fudo's parents were also killed. If it hadn't been for him, we never would have learned of the connection between our parents - and your husband. In his search, he discovered first that Mr. Davis had known his father, then that your husband had, too. They were both murdered before he could speak with them, however. We were hoping you might know why they were killed, or at least be able to tell us about them, but I guess not. But at least we know now that no one is left that knew what was going on."

"I'm sorry I can't help you more; believe me, I wish I could. Although, I do know one thing about what they were working on. He didn't talk about work much then - thought it would bore me - but I do remember one thing my husband told me. He said Dr. Fudo discovered a particle that binds together unlikely things - substances and elements that wouldn't normally bind together would with this 'Yusei' particle. He also said it would bring about so much good..." Tears formed in the widow's eyes.

"Looks like it didn't in more ways than one," Crow speculated. "First with Zero Reverse, and now this..."Jack nodded; he had recognized the particle name as had Crow.

"Is... Is there anything else you can remember?" Jack asked, sympathy for the widow evident in his voice.

"I'm sorry... I only met them a few times, and he never talked about his work. I am sorry..."

"Thank you," Crow told her, "for your time. You've let us know more than you realize."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you went there!" Yusei fumed when he was informed that evening.<p>

"Hey! Calm down, Yus'! We haven't even told you what we found out yet!" Crow pleaded.

Yusei crossed his arms and glared down at his friends where they sat. "Fine," he stated flatly. "Do tell."

As Crow retold the afternoon's chat, Yusei's expression melted from one of anger to one of surprise. When Crow had finished, Yusei asked, "So there's really no one left, huh?"

"That's right; apparently our parents plus those three other guys were the only ones that knew anything about this whole thing," Jack responded.

"Which brings us right back to where we started," Yusei frowned. "What is this killer trying so hard to cover up?"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Hehe one of the few times anyone will pry ever see Yusei get angry...<p>

Anyway... Please review^_^ as always i looooooove to read them^_^


	10. Chapter 9 Heart of Darkness

Author's Notes: Here we go again... Ready for more?^_^ I feel I should warn you: I actually swore in this chapter... (and I do again in later chapters...) nothing horrible though I promise^_^

Enjoy^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine – Heart of Darkness<strong>

"No way, Crow," Yusei shook his head and bent back down to work on his runner. "I'm not getting involved in this again."

"Ah, c'mon, Yus'," Crow pleaded. "You can't say this hasn't piqued your interest again."

"You're right about that much; I can't."

"So why not?" Crow folded his arms across his chest and gazed down at his friend. "Give me one good reason why you won't start searching again."

"You want the truth?"

"Of course I do."

Yusei stopped working and lowered his head. "The truth is, Crow," he sighed. "I'm afraid to keep going. Whoever this guy is, he's not gonna stop protecting his secret. He's already proven he's not afraid to commit murder to keep it hidden, and, personally, I don't want to be his next victim."

"But don't you see, buddy? You're in the middle of this whether you want to be or not. We all are." Yusei peered up at his orange haired friend with a look of puzzlement. "We're the sons of our fathers; if we can't figure out what's going on, no one will."

"I still don't want any part of this, Crow. It's too risky." He turned his attention back to his runner signaling the end of the conversation.

"Alright, Yus'." Crow sighed as he turned. "But just think about it, okay? 'Cause I think there's something your dad wanted you to find; maybe something beyond what's going on. One way or the other, you're the one with the album and there's no going forward without it."

* * *

><p>"So ya thought about it yet?"<p>

Yusei sighed impatiently; Crow just wouldn't give up. He just came in for a lunch break and BAM! there's Crow, badgering him again. "I don't need to; I made my decision a month ago. It's too great of a risk."

"So was forming a duel gang," Crow countered, ticking off the reasons on his fingers. "Heck, even just having cards in the first place was risky. And so was building a duel runner. And going to New Domino. And - "

Yusei cut in. "I get your point, Crow."

"Then why do you keep running away?"

"Do you remember when we were nine, Crow? We were afraid of the dark."

"We avoided dark places like the plague, and Jack made fun of us for it; of course I remember. But what does that have to do with this?"

"My point is that you stay away from what you're afraid of. You don't purposely walk straight into the heart of it."

"You're the only one who can find the answers," Crow stated, crossing his arms. "And maybe I'm being a little selfish here, but it feels like a piece of me is missing having never known my parents. I mean, c'mon, don't you ever feel like you're somehow _incomplete_?"

Yusei sighed. He looked away, clenched his hands into fists at his side.

"Besides," the orange haired duelist added. "This wouldn't be the first time you've walked straight into the heart of darkness."

It was true. The night the two of them had faced their fear of the dark had been a stormy one. Martha had evacuated all the kids to the basement because it had been so severe a storm. Under normal circumstances no one had even been allowed to go down there; there were no lights and if you weren't careful, you could become lost quite easily in the many passages. But windows had been shattering that night, and no one had a choice.

And then there was Yusei's duel with Kalin. His first encounter with Kalin as a Dark Signer had nearly cost him his life. After so nearly losing the first time, Yusei had been afraid he couldn't defeat the Dark Signer. But in the end, he forced himself to go back and face his former best friend.

"So what's it gonna be, Yusei?" Crow broke into his friend's thoughts, pulling him back to the present. "Are you gonna face your fears again or keep running away?"

* * *

><p>A red warning light pulsed gently in the corner of Dr. Brueski's laptop computer screen. "What the - ?" he muttered to himself as he clicked on it. The type of viewing screen used for web cams popped open showing two boys, one with spiky orange hair and one with raven hair.<p>

"What are you doing, Yusei?" he hissed through his teeth as the black haired boy knelt by the bed and produced a beat-up black photo album from underneath. He watched in silence as the two boys left the room before slamming the top of his laptop shut. "I promise you will regret sticking your nose where is doesn't belong, Yusei Fudo."

* * *

><p><em>Eighteen Years Ago<em>

"WHERE'S THE PARTICLE, FUDO?" Brueski demanded.

"Please lower your voice; my son is sleeping," Dr. Fudo stated calmly. "And I assure you, I don't know what you're talking about."

"LIKE HELL YOU DON'T!"

"Dr. Brueski, I'm not going to ask you again to refrain from yelling, especially with that kind of language."

"THEN TELL ME WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH IT!"

"I'm sorry, but that's government business now. You'll have to speak with the Director about it. Good day, Dr. Brueski." With that said, Dr. Fudo closed the door in Brueski's face. He started down the hall only to find his wife stepping out of the nursery cradling an unhappy Yusei. "I'm sorry, my dear," he murmured upon approach. "I know you just got him to sleep."

"Who was that, anyway?" she asked.

"Just Brueski demanding I return the particle to him."

"You mean he's really still trying to go through with it?"

"I guess so, Love." He shook his head. "But it's impossible without the Yusei Particle, which Brueski will never lay his hands on now that it's government property. As for the amulet... He doesn't know I still have possession of it, and he hopefully never will."

"You don't think he'll threaten us to try to get it back, do you?" She hugged little Yusei closer as this thought occurred to her.

"Hopefully he's smart enough to realize it would be futile. There's no way it would help to threaten us, and if he was really stupid enough to threaten the government, he'd find himself in the Facility before he could blink an eye. No; we're safe." He smiled to reassure his wife, but inside he added, 'For now, anyway...'

* * *

><p><em>Five Months Later<em>

"Mass chaos is filling the city!" a newswoman reported from a helicopter above the city. "As you can see below me, a section of Domino City has broken off and tidal waves have flooded the streets and destroyed numerous buildings. This story cannot end well... " Brueski clicked the channel button on the TV remote. Another news report.

"... Right now rescue workers have confirmed at least 200 dead, 500 more injured, and over 4000 are still missing," an anchorman read from his report. "Among those confirmed dead are such prestigious public figures as Doctors Fudo and Kumari, and Senator Nagisa. Such loses as these - ." Brueski clicked the set off. 'Hm,' he thought to himself. 'At least that's one less family I have to worry about. Too bad any chance of getting that particle back is gone now, too.'

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

A lone figure caped in black stood near a weathered tombstone, her face hidden by the hood. With both hands she held a bouquet of white lilies. She gazed at the stone and read the inscription with tears in her eyes.

"Beloved Husband and Father  
>Hiero Fudo<br>June 4, 2051 to May 19, 2076"

"It has been far too long," the woman whispered, laying the lilies at the base of the stone. "I miss you so...

"Rest in peace my husband..."

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Told ya I love plot twists^_^ mwahahahahahaha!<p>

Anyway, review if you enjoyed, review if you didn't; I love hearing what you guys thing^_^

(cookies again to the people who normally do^_^... hmm... actually make it muffins this time; you people are pry getting tired of cookies XD)


	11. Chapter 10 The Album

Author's Notes: I love you guys! You give the most amazing reviews^_^ (Hmmm... its still semi-close to Easter... Cadbury Eggs for all of you maybe? or are you sick of those? XD)

Anyway... Enjoy^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten – The Album<strong>

"Alright, Crow," Yusei stated plopping the album down on the kitchen table. "So what are we looking for exactly?"

"I was hoping you'd know."

"Well," he sighed. "I guess we'll just have to see what we see..." The raven-haired duelist flipped open the cover.

"Uhm... Maybe these photos with a bunch of people would be a good place to start," Crow suggested. "Maybe we'll recognize some one..."

"Hm," Yusei nodded. "Only problem is how is that gonna help us? The only people we'll recognize are those we already know... It won't help us much."

Crow sighed. "It'd sure help if we knew what we were looking for..."

"All my dad said was 'they hold more than they appear' ... That's all I know about it."

"Hey! Maybe there's something written on the back of one them! Ya know... an inscription or something..."

Yusei gave a short laugh. "If that's the case, it could take quite a long time to find."

"So we should get started in other words!"

Yusei smiled slightly, nodded, and began to remove photos from their slots.

* * *

><p><em>One Hour Later<em>

"OK," Crow mused, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "What do we have so far?"

"Not much, I'm afraid," Yusei responded with a sigh. "Just a list of names for the most part; a few names of places, too, but that's about it."

"Man, I'm starting to think I was wrong about something being on the back... You'd think we'd have more to show for an hour's worth of work otherwise."

"We still have over half the album left, Crow; there could still be something we haven't seen. So let's keep going."

"Right." Crow reached to slide the next photo from its place. "Whoa! What that - ?" The photo slipped free, but it felt thicker than the others had. The orange-haired duelist flipped the photo over; on the opposite side, taped face down, was a duel monsters card. In the bottom right-hand corner was printed the initials HF. "Ya don't think... ?"

Yusei nodded. "It's possible. And I think this is what my father wanted me to find."

Peeling the tape off carefully, the monster card Dark Magician was revealed on the front side of the card.

"Ah man!" Crow practically jumped out of his chair. "Talk about a rare card! ... But I don't get it; what's the point?"

"My father seems to like talking in riddles; maybe this is just one of them. We had better keep the card and photo separate from the album; there might be a reason they were taped together."

Crow looked over at his friend raising and eyebrow and cocking his head to one side. "You s'pose there's more of them?"

The raven-haired youth only nodded and proceeded to feel the backs of the photos for more cards.

Thirty minutes later, the two boys had collected four cards and four photos to go with them. There were two monster cards - Dark Magician and Celtic Guardian - and two traps - Chain Reaction and Swords of Revealing Light. The photos were as different as the cards. Many of the people in the photos neither Yusei nor Crow recognized, and the captions had been smeared beyond interpretation.

"I'm still confused, Yus'. What do they mean?"

Yusei shook his head. "I have no idea, Crow, but I sure wish I did."

* * *

><p><em>Eighteen Years Ago<em>

"What are you doing, Love?" Kara Fudo asked looking over her husband's shoulder.

"Someday our son may wish to know about this whole ordeal. I'm making sure he'll have some clues to the past should anything happen to us," Hiero answered without looking up from the photos he had compiled.

"What do you mean 'should anything happen to us'? Hiero, is there something you're not telling me?"

He didn't speak for a moment as he finished securing Celtic Guardian to the back of a photo. "I didn't want to have to tell you this," he said after a moment. "But work on this Ener-D Reactor has become dangerous. So much so that I have decided to shut it down. Roman Goodwin wasn't a fan of the idea when I first posed it, and I'm sure he will try to resist it when I make the announcement tomorrow. Should something go wrong, I want you to take this album, leave it with Mr. Wacha, and flee from the city; I don't know what could happen if it spins in reverse. I don't even know if it would be possible for you to escape. And that is why I will take Yusei with me to work until I know how this will play out. I have created an escape capsule that will fit just him inside, and I know it can withstand most any force. Even if we do not live past next week, he will have a chance."

"You said the cards were clues," Kara mentioned to change the subject; her voice betrayed her as it shook with fear when she spoke.

"Hm." He nodded. "Not only do they tell the story, but I want my son to have some piece of his father, however small it may be."

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

"Excuse me." The receptionist looked up. "I'm trying to find someone who lives in this area. I don't suppose there's someone here who could help me find the address, is there?" Kara Fudo knew perfectly well there was someone that could tell her of her son's whereabouts, but since this was the capital building, there was no guarantee they would actually help her.

"Well, you supposed right," the receptionist answered in an icy tone. Without another word, she returned to her work on the computer.

Kara turned and left the building. She had expected such an answer; everything had changed so much in the last eighteen years. 'Now what?' she wondered as she walked into the wind. With her head down she didn't see the man she walked into until impact.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going!"

"No, no! It's as much my fault as yours! Are you alright, ma'am?"

"In terms of running into you, yes... In terms of learning the location of someone, not so much..."

"Yeah those goons in there are really something else, aren't they? Who is it you're looking for?"

"Oh, I doubt you would know him..."

"Hey, you never know! I get around a lot and happen to know quite a number of people in this city."

"I suppose it couldn't hurt any to ask. I'm looking to contact Yusei Fudo."

"Well, ma'am, it's your lucky day! The name's Blister, and I happen to be a friend of his!"

"Really? That's wonderful!" Kara exclaimed. "Could you give me the address?"

Blister nodded. "You may want to write this down; it's a little confusing to get there the first time."

* * *

><p>Kara lurked in the shadows of a nearby building to where her son lived, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. She was in luck. A moment after she arrived he appeared, coming down the street with a young lady. It had to be him, she was sure; after eighteen years he was the spitting image of his father. The girl she did not know, though with dark burgundy hair and slight features, she was quite attractive. The two were chatting happily and laughing, and she had to wonder if the two weren't dating.<p>

It was all she could do to keep from bolting out of her hiding place and embracing her son. 'I can't endanger his life...' Kara thought as tears formed in her eyes. 'As much as I wish to embrace him and see the man he's become, I cannot... So I will give him what he needs and be gone.'

After night had fallen, she quietly crept up to the door, left a parcel wrapped in brown paper, and fled away again into the night.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Blister's a little too trusting, but I had to have some way for Kara to find her son... Ah well... Next chapter up soon^_^<p> 


	12. Chapter 11 The Package

Author's Notes: Yet another chapter... I won't bore you all with my talk - this time anyway ;)

Enjoy^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven – The Package<strong>

Crow, not paying much mind to his feet, nearly tripped over a brown package next to the door when he stepped out to get the mail. "Whoa! What the - ? How did that get there?"

"Yus'!" he called when he had returned with the rest of the mail. "Hey, Yusei! You got mail!"

"Oh great," the raven-haired male responded, as he stood from his position on the concrete floor next to the neon green duel runner he was repairing. "The last time I got mail someone died."

"Well, here it is anyway. No return address again, either; just your name. Here."

Yusei wiped the motor oil off his hands with an old rag and caught the small brown parcel his friend tossed to him. "Wonder what it could be..." he mused. "And who it's from this time..."

"Well open it and find out," Crow directed. "You're not gonna figure out what's inside by staring at it."

"Mm." Yusei nodded and peeled away the brown paper to reveal a plain white, unmarked box underneath. He removed the tight-fitting lid to find a wad of white tissue paper beneath. Setting the box aside, he removed the wad and proceeded to unwind it. There were three sheets of paper wrapped around the box's contents, and when Yusei finally had all of them uncoiled from it, he was puzzled at what the box had contained. It was a strange thing for a boy to receive, that amulet. It was a perfect oval no larger than his thumbnail that seemed to shine with a white light of its own.

When Crow spoke, it startled Yusei; he hadn't realized the other boy had come up behind him. "So what is that thing? And why did someone give it to you?" Crow asked. After a pause he added, "Oh, hey! There's a note in the box! Maybe we'll finally get some answers instead of more questions!"

Yusei took the folded note from his orange-haired friend. Leaning against the table beside him, he unfolded the crisp, white sheet of paper. It read:

"My Only Son:  
>"By now you surely know all about Zero Reverse, so I will spare you a retelling. What you do not know, however, is what had taken place five months earlier. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you the details of this as it would place your life in danger if I did.<br>"But know this: there are certain people who would do anything - and I mean ANYTHING - to take this amulet from you. It contains the last unaltered Yusei Particle in the known universe.  
>"Keep it secret; keep it safe, as I have done for many years.<br>"I love you, my son.  
>"Kara Fudo"<p>

Yusei's face drained of all color upon reading his mother's name at the bottom of the note. For what seemed like an eternity he stared at the name in disbelief. 'No,' he thought. 'It can't be... It just can't be!'

"Yus'?" He tore his gaze from the signature to look over at his friend. Crow gazed back, concern evident in his grey eyes. "Are you ok? You look like you're gonna be sick or something..."

Yusei didn't answer, only closed his eyes, swallowed hard, and held out the note to Crow for him to read.

"WHAT?" Crow exclaimed, his eyes shooting wide open upon reading the signature. "I don't believe this! I just don't BELIEVE this! If she's been alive all this time, why didn't she come back for you? What kind of a mother is she?"

Yusei wasn't really hearing any of Crow's rant; he was too far-gone in his own world to notice. 'How can this be?' he thought. 'Both of my parents should have died in Zero Reverse... But it would appear that somehow my mother survived. I shouldn't be so surprised by this... I'm starting to see that nothing is as it seems... But if that's true, where has she been the last eighteen years of my life? Why didn't she come back? ...

'She said she couldn't give me any details because it'd be too dangerous... So maybe that's also the reason for this; maybe it was too dangerous to came back and she just wanted to protect me...' He opened his eyes, his mind returning to the present.

"... I mean, c'mon! Eighteen years? Why - !"

"Cool it, Crow," Yusei cut in. "I'm sure there's a good reason why she stayed away." Without another word, Yusei climbed on his runner and sped away out of the garage, leaving Crow staring after him in stunned disbelief.

* * *

><p>Brueski had seen the entire exchange via more hidden cameras, and he couldn't believe his eyes - or his ears. There was still one unaltered particle left, and Yusei had it in his possession now? This was too good to be true!<p>

On the other hand, what was this crap about Kara Fudo still being alive? He had sent some of his goons after her the moment he had found out she was still alive. Those same men come back two years ago reporting her dead. Then again, perhaps it was for the best that those goons had messed up their orders; now Brueski could get his hands on the particle he had not known existed until now and finish what was started eighteen years ago. As for Kara herself, he would simply kill her just like everyone else who got in his way. Those goons would have to go too, for their incompetence.

But that would have to wait. Right now he wanted nothing more than to get that particle. It wouldn't be easy considering it was on a chain around the boy's neck, but no matter; if he was fortunate enough to kill the Fudo boy in the process, it would simply save him the trouble later.

Brueski closed the camera viewing window on his laptop screen and opened a different one. The program immediately began hacking into the signal sent out by the tracking chip in Yusei's runner. It took only a minute for a map of New Domino City to appear on his screen with a red light pulsing gently on the pier. The light wasn't moving so Brueski knew he had stopped there for some reason.

"The pier it is," Brueski mumbled to himself as he started his car.

* * *

><p>Yusei stood staring out at the ocean, the breeze tossing his raven hair back and forth. He was leaning on the rail, the only divider between the city and the sea, lost in thought. How would his life have been different if his mother had come back when he was little? Surely much better than it was! ... Or would it have been worse? He sighed. 'I just don't know anymore... Nothing is as it seems anymore...' he thought, gazing down into the water.<p>

He pulled off the brown riding glove on his right hand and gently held the amulet on his fingertips. All these murders - all of this pain - over this little thing? For a brief moment he considered snapping the chain that held it around his neck and flinging it as far as he could out into the ocean. But he didn't; this little thing was super important to someone somewhere, and he had to find out why.

'This madness has to end,' he thought, closing his sapphire eyes and clenching his hand into a fist around the amulet. 'I won't let either of you down, Mom and Dad.'

He opened his eyes again just in time to see someone's fist drive into the right side of his face. It was enough of a surprise considering he hadn't heard anyone approach, but what surprised Yusei more was the man behind the fist: Dr. Brueski.

Kalin had long ago taught Yusei how to defend himself, but somehow Brueski was always one step ahead of him. Before he quite knew what was happening, Brueski had grabbed hold of the amulet, snapping the chain, and shoved Yusei with just enough force to throw him off balance and send him over the railing.

Yusei plunged into the icy black water headfirst and remembered nothing more as the cold sucked the breath out of him and darkness closed in.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: <em>Dun-dun-dun!<em>

...Heh; ya know it's kinda funny... Yusei always seems to be the one getting hurt in stories... Wonder why that is? (rhetorically question haha)

Anyway, as always, reviews are lovely^_^


	13. Chapter 12 The Downfall of Dr Brueski

Author's Notes: Sorry to keep you all hanging! It's been a busy week... Choir concert this past tuesday, state large group music contest yesterday... I haven't had much time lately!

Anyway, thanks to all the people who reviewed last chapter (and beyond^_^).

Without further ado, enjoy^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve – The Downfall of Dr. Brueski<strong>

"Hey! I think he's coming around!"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

'Those voices...' Yusei thought. 'How did Crow and Jack get here? ... For that matter where IS here?' He tried to open his eyes unsuccessfully; they just wouldn't budge for some reason. He tried again and met with a brilliant white light; blinking a few times made it disappear. Standing over him with looks of concern were Jack, Crow, and Officer Trudge.

When he tried to ask what had happened, he went into a fit of painful coughing. A nurse seemed to appear out of nowhere and, though he tried to resist by turning his head away, she forced him to breathe from an oxygen mask. It hurt more than the coughing itself had, so at first he was thankful when she removed it. Then he realized just how difficult it was to breath without it. Yusei could hear every breath rasping in his throat and rattling in his lungs. Something wasn't right; something must have happened to make breathing this difficult, but he couldn't remember what.

Finally he was able to ask in a rasping whisper that sounded nothing like his normal voice, "What happened?"

Crow shook his head. "We aren't totally sure. One minute everything's fine, the next me and Jack's marks are burning. By the time we had hopped on our runners, we couldn't feel your presence through it anymore so we had to rely on the tracking signal from your runner. When we got there all we found was your runner and one of your riding gloves. We had no idea what happened so we called Trudge, hoping somehow he'd heard something."

Officer Trudge took over the story from there. "Right before they had called, I had intercepted an emergency call from a fishing vessel in the bay. They were headed for the harbor with an unconscious teenager they had pulled from the water only moments before. Apparently you got tangled up in one of their fishing nets or something. Anyway, they had started CPR, but it didn't look good; you didn't respond for several minutes and, even after you did, they weren't sure you'd make it in."

"I... I remember now..." Yusei rasped. "I remember... falling into the water..." He started coughing again, a horrid and painful sounding thing, and one that left him out of breath for several minutes.

"I think the three of you should leave now," the nurse stated in an irritated tone as she once again held an oxygen mask over Yusei's mouth and nose.

"What?" Crow exclaimed. "I'm not going anywhere!"

At the same time, Jack stated, "No way! I'm not leaving!"

"Guys," Trudge intervened, gesturing towards the door. "Step out for just a sec, will ya?"

Crow growled. "Fine."

Once the three had stepped out and the automatic doors had slid shut behind them, Trudge made his point. "I think she's right." He held up a hand to stop the other two's protests. "The doctors are probably just afraid of complications considering the amount of water he had in his lungs, so they just don't want a ton of people in there. Look where we're standing: the ICU; you're lucky they let you in to see him in the first place. Besides, he won't get much rest - which he desperately needs - if you two hooligans are hanging around in there. Now, there's a room down the corridor you two can wait in; I'll let you know if something happens."

"Hey, wait a flipping second!" Jack protested, jabbing a finger into Trudge's chest. "Why do you get stay?"

"Because I'm Sector Security, that's why. Considering everything that surrounded you guys a month ago, I don't think what happened earlier is a coincidence. So I'm standing guard."

"C'mon, Jack," Crow gave in, turning to head down the corridor. "There's nothing we can do anyway."

"I'll go," Jack conceded, "but I won't be happy about it."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Yusei woke with a start, breathing hard. It had been painful enough to breath before and that dream just made it all the worse.<p>

"Yusei?" It was Trudge. Somehow he had managed to get the nurse to let him stay, though Jack and Crow hadn't been allowed. "Are you okay? Do I need to call the nurse?"

"I remember what happened," he whispered in hoarse voice, shaking his head. "It was Brueski; it had to be... I... I don't understand..." He broke off mid-sentence, gasping for air.

"Ahhh..." Trudge muttered unpleasantly. "I recognize that name. He was a doctor and a darn good one at that - until his license was revoked over the death of a patient. Authorities reported it as a murder, and an autopsy proved it. The press had a field day with it... Guess I'll be making an arrest as soon as I can find out where he is." He turned to leave the room. "See you later, Yusei," he stated as he exited the room. "Get some rest."

Before leaving the hospital, Trudge stopped to inform Jack and Crow of the recent turn of events. Neither of the two boys could believe what they were hearing.

"How does that work out?" Crow badgered as Jack shook his head in disbelief. "We've only ever met the guy, like, once! What does he have to with all of this?"

Jack crossed his arms. "Think about it, Crow; he's probably been involved in the whole thing. Remember how you told me about that amulet being missing? I'd bet anything that's what this whole thing is about, and I can guarantee I know whose hands it's in now. After all, if he had the gall to murder a patient, why not Mr. Wacha, Mr. Davis, and Yusei, too? This whole thing is one big chess game; Brueski will just keep taking anyone who gets in his way out of play until there's no one left, and he's won this sick game of his."

"Talk about sick and twisted," Crow commented. "Kinda reminds me of Rex Goodwin."

* * *

><p>"Here it is," Brueski stated. "The last unaltered Yusei Particle. Now we can finish what we started eighteen years ago, aye Boss?"<p>

"Well done, Brueski!" the other man responded in a deep bass from where was seated on one side of an extravagant oak desk. "And you are sure there was no one around to identify you or follow you?"

"Of course, sir! The Fudo boy is surely dead, and there was no one else in sight!"

"Very good, then. How about we celebrate, Brueski, with a little friendly duel, shall we? It has been so long..."

"Why of course, sir! It would be an honor!"

The two men stepped away from the desk into the center of the large room.

"Let's duel!" they both called out, activating their duel disks and drawing their first hand of cards.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later Officer Trudge pulled up in front of the building the two men were dueling in. It hadn't been difficult to locate Brueski; his criminal mark gave him away. He kept it concealed from the world, but it was still there none-the-less. Little did he know he had arrived just before the duel concluded in the basement of the warehouse.<p>

* * *

><p>When Brueski had accepted the challenge, he had forgotten two minor details about the way his boss dueled: he did not believe in 'friendly' duels, and his boss was a psychic duelist. Both of these facts had been brought to mind the instant his boss attacked the first time. By then it was far too late to pull out of the duel. Brueski's life points dropped to 200 on the third attack, and he dropped to his knees. His boss was pulling out all the stops, but he would not be taken out so easily - or so he thought.<p>

"You fell into my trap, sir! I activate my Flaming Ogre's special ability! When he is destroyed and I take battle damage, I'm allowed to special summon an even more powerful Ogre from my hand! Say hello to the mighty, the powerful, Ogre King (ATT: 2400, DEF: 1600)! Now, attack Ogre King!"

His boss's life points fell to 2700. "Very well, then; I draw! First, I activate the Graceful Revival trap card to resurrect Dark Magician Girl to my field! Then by sacrificing a dark attribute monster from my hand, I'm allowed to summon Dark Magician (ATT: 2500, DEF: 1600). But wait; it gets even better! For every dark attribute monster on my field, Dark Magician will gain 200 attack points thanks to this card: Darkness Reigns! Face it Brueski; this duel is over as well as your own life! You have served your purpose just as the others have, and now you're just in my way! Go Dark Magician; finish this!"

Brueski's life points crashed to zero as he himself crashed to the floor. "I don't know why I ever believed you were grateful to me for staying when the others walked out; I can't believe I've been doing your dirty work all these years just to have you kill me off like I've killed Wacha, Davis, and the rest. You... you manipulator."

The man laughed. "I don't know why you did either... And I'll take that last phrase as a compliment. Good-bye, Brueski; you were useful to me for awhile at least."

With his last breath, Brueski whispered, "Well, here's my secret: Fudo isn't dead! His mother isn't either for that matter! Yusei will find a way to stop your scheme! So I guess the joke's on you now, isn't it?" and then his lifeless corpse lay dead on the concrete floor.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: So Brueski isn't the one in charge... Confused yet? Mwahahahaha!<p>

Also, my apologies about any error in the duel... I love the show, but I'm not totally familiar with all the rules and such of dueling...

Clarification: Brueski doesn't know that Yusei and his mother aren't dead... He's bluffing to try to shake his boss up in return for killing him. ...It just so happens that what he thinks is a a bluff is really true... And, as you will see later, it's a good thing his boss believed him!

Anyway, have a nice day^_^ (and don't forget to review^_^)


	14. Chapter 13 Game Over

Author's Notes: Shortest. Chapter. Ever.

Enjoy this very brief update^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen – Game Over<strong>

September rain beat down against the windows of Yusei's hospital room. His condition was steadily improving so Crow and Jack had been allowed back into his room. Trudge had left the day before to arrest Brueski, but the three boys were still waiting for any news, as Trudge had not yet returned. Yusei had been drifting in and out of sleep all day; he would rather have stayed asleep but bouts of coughing were always the culprit that dragged him away from slumber. On the verge of such slumber once again, he heard the door slide open. Turning his head, Yusei saw Officer Trudge enter the room. The rain-soaked officer was wearing a solemn expression, one the three boys had not expected. Then again, they were not expecting the news he bore either.

The first words out of Trudge's mouth were the exact opposite of what they should have been: "It's not over yet, boys."

"Whadaya mean?" Crow exclaimed. "I thought - "

"We thought wrong," Trudge interrupted. "I traced Brueski to an old warehouse yesterday. He has a criminal marker - one he kept concealed quite well - so it wasn't hard to find him. But I got a little surprise when I opened the door. He was there, alright: lying on the floor, dead. That's why it took so long to get back here. I had to report it, and I wanted to wait to see what the autopsy said the cause of death was. From the looks of it, though, I could already tell he had been beaten to death. But there's more. Someone had slit open his arm and used his blood to smear the words 'game over' on the floor."

"Man, I was right when I said this guy is sick and twisted," Crow muttered.

"So Brueski ended up as just another pawn in this game of chess then," Jack concluded. "Which means someone else has been the king piece this whole time, not him."

"He wasn't a pawn, Jack; he had more power then that. He woulda been more like a rook or a bishop or a knight," Crow countered. "All of our parents - now they were the pawns. But either way, someone was using them for his own gain. ... Where does this leave us exactly?"

"Unfortunately," Yusei responded from where he lay, "right back where we started: with no idea of who's behind this whole thing."

Crow scratched the back of his neck. "Just like last time, only now there are even more questions without answers."

"Except with one difference."

"Huh?" Crow looked over at his raven-haired friend.

"Whoever is doing this has all the pieces now; thanks to Brueski he's in possession of everything he needs. It's because he has all the pieces that Brueski had to die; he wasn't needed anymore. That means this guy is calling all the shots, and, now that we don't have any clues left, he can do whatever he wants.

"It really is 'game over' for us, guys; the true darkness is beginning, and the villain has won."

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: <em>Dun-dun-dun!<em>

Once again, sorry for the short chapter, as well as the fact that this pry won't be updated for a while. I've got finals coming up and the the pre-calc one is gonna kick my butt as it is.

As always, reviews are lovely and I will update as soon as I can^_^

(FYI: There is a double line below this because I accidentally put one there, and when I tried to get rid of it, it added another one XD)


	15. Chapter 14 Disaster Begins

Author's Notes: Oh my word! I am so, so sorry for taking so long to update! ...It's not even the my best work... I don't even really like this chapter to be honest. Ah, well. Hope you guys enjoy it, and I hope it was worth the wait.

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><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen – Disaster Begins<strong>

Night had fallen once again. This was only the third night Yusei had spent in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit, but his doctor was already talking about moving him to a room outside the ICU.

"Alright boys," a nurse stated, entering the room. "You know the drill; visiting hours are over. Actually, I'm being generous since they ended five minutes ago. Let's go."

"Ah, c'mon, Kai!" Crow protested with a smirk. Both he and Jack had gotten to know this young nurse well in the last few days; she was Yusei's night nurse and always kicking them out.

"No 'buts', Mr. Hogan; Mr. Fudo needs his rest."

"Oh, fine," Crow relented. "Hey, maybe next time we won't be comin' to see you in the ICU, eh Yus'? Better visiting hours, no more crabby night nurses..." Kai glared at Crow; the orange-haired duelist winked back.

"Night, Yusei." Jack started for the door, grabbing Crow's arm as he went. "I think I'd better get Crow out of here before he gets beat to a pulp by your nurse. See you tomorrow!" The two disappeared, the door sliding shut automatically behind them.

"I swear, Mr. Fudo, your friends..." Kai started, coming close to give Yusei his medicine.

The raven-haired youth laughed. "I know, I know! And it's 'Yusei' if you don't mind." He took the medicine she held out to him. "You won't be the one kicking them out tomorrow from the way it sounds, though."

"It's true I won't miss those hooligans," Kai said thoughtfully. "But I will miss you; you're one of my best patients."

"Uhm... Thanks."

"Well, it's true; I haven't heard you complain once."

"No reason to, I guess."

"Huh. Well, get some rest, Mr. Fudo." Kai turned and left the room.

Yusei shook his head. 'No matter how many times I tell her, she still calls me 'Mr. Fudo'...' That was his final thought before sleep swept in over him.

* * *

><p>"Whadaya mean he's 'not here anymore', Kai?" Crow asked. When the two boys had arrived at eight the next morning, they had found Yusei's room deserted.<p>

"Just what I said," Kai responded nonchalantly. "Another doctor came down about a half-hour ago and told me Dr. Yamamoto had authorized his move to a room outside the ICU."

"He told us that if they moved him today it wouldn't be until this afternoon," Jack returned.

Kai shrugged. "I guess he changed his mind."

"Well, where is he now then?" Crow asked.

"His file still has him here in the ICU," she answered, consulting the computer on the desk in front of her. "He wasn't moved too long ago so I guess it just hasn't been updated yet."

"Well, great," Crow stated, obviously a little ticked. "How are we supposed to find him then?"

"Come back later, I guess. Sorry, boys, I don't know what else to tell you."

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, boys, but the computer really does say Mr. Fudo is in room 118 of the ICU," the confused receptionist answered. It was now one o'clock, and Jack and Crow were equally confused.<p>

"That can't be right," Crow stated. "We were here this morning, and his nurse told us he'd been moved."

"Well, I can call his doctor down to talk to you if you like."

"Yes," Jack answered. "Please do."

A few moments later, a middle-aged doctor with short, cropped brown hair appeared wearing a white lab coat over black slacks. "Ah, Crow; Jack! I thought you'd be up with Yusei. What can I do for you?"

"Well, for starters you can tell us where Yusei is," Jack responded coldly.

Dr. Yamamoto gave the boys a blank stare. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean..."

"Then why did his nurse, Kai, tell us that a doctor came and said you had authorized his move to a different room this morning?" Crow exclaimed. "Are you saying that's not true?"

The doctor shook his head, a perplexed look on his face. "I never gave such an authorization! In fact, I was going to push the move back another day; I'm not sure his condition has improved enough yet. Come on, boys, let's go up there and see if we can't get this figured out."

But when they had arrived in the ICU, it was just as Crow had said: Yusei wasn't there. But Kai still was.

"Kai!" Crow exclaimed. "What are you still doing here?"

"Traded shifts with another nurse," she replied. "Hello, Dr. Yamamoto."

"Nurse Kai, where is Yusei Fudo?" the doctor demanded. "It's extremely important that we find him!"

"I thought you authorized his move, sir," the young woman responded, puzzled. "Another doctor came down this morning with a signed form."

"And you didn't notice that I couldn't have authorized any such thing since I didn't come in until nine o'clock this morning?" He was almost yelling now.

Kai's face went white. "I... I'm sorry, sir. I... I..."

Dr. Yamamoto took a deep breath and sighed it back out. "Do you know who it was that took him? Can you describe him?" he asked in a much calmer tone of voice.

She bowed her head, amber bangs falling in front of green eyes. "I'm sorry, I... I... I don't recall. I thought the authorization was valid so I didn't take more than a glance at the man. He was tall and spoke in a deep bass but... that's all I remember..."

"This is not good," Dr. Yamamoto breathed. "Not good at all..."

"You don't know the half of it," Crow accused, his face pale. "I know he's not in good condition, but that just adds to it; someone out there is trying to kill him, and if we don't find him soon..." He trailed off, not wanting to finish his thought.

Kai raised her head, tears spilling from her eyes. "I am so sorry... This is all my fault... Please let me try to make it right; let me help you find him."

Jack nodded once. "I think we're going to need all the help we can get."

* * *

><p>Evil, mischievous laughter rang in Yusei's ears. He opened his deep blue eyes only to discover there was nothing to be seen in the pitch black around him. 'What's going on?' he wondered. He tried to move his arms and found only resistance from cords biting into his flesh. Moving a hand, it brushed against something hard and smooth; he could feel the grain of it under his fingertips, telling him that whatever he was bound to was made of wood. Sliding his bare foot across the surface it rested on, he realized it was something different: hard and smooth like before, but cold too.<p>

'I must me sitting on a wooden chair on a cement floor,' he concluded. 'But where am I? How did I get here?'

A deep bass voice suddenly rang out, echoing around him. "I hope you're not afraid of the dark, little boy."

"Who are you?" Yusei called out as he turned his head, trying to make out anything in the dark. "What do you want with me?"

More evil laughter, and with it came a sharp pain coursing through the young duelist's body, causing him to cry out.

"All in due time, boy," the bass answered. "Or perhaps not. Either way it will be far too late for you to do anything about it. Actually, there's nothing you can do to stop it now, for that matter. Face it, Yusei, you have failed!"

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Worth the wait? Yes? No? I hope it was, though, again, it really wasn't my best work. There's not really much description at all... It bothers me... But I'm too lazy to fix it considering I wrote this like what? six months ago? Something like that...<p>

Anyway, it won't take so long for the next update, _I promise_. Until then, please review^_^ It makes my day to open up my gmail and find that I have new reviews^_^


	16. Chapter 15 Into the Light

Author's Notes: Why I decided to add Blister into this more I have no idea. But there he is. He doesn't really play much of a part so that's why I don't really know why he's there.

Anyway, thank you all for the reviews^_^ (uhm... let's see... hmph. don't have anything around for you people this time. sorry.) Also, sorry for the delay; but I'm done with school 'til August so I'll be updating more frequently now^_^

_Anyway_, I'm just rambling now, so enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen – Into the Light<strong>

"I think we should split up," Officer Trudge stated. "We can cover more ground that way; not to mention I can have every squad car the city owns out looking with a moment's notice."

"I agree." Crow nodded. The others nodded their consent as well; by now Akiza, Leo and Luna, Kalin, and Blister had all been informed of the kidnapping, and all were gathered at the hospital.

"Ok, so here's the plan -"

"Wait a second," Blister interrupted. "Can't we just trace his mark? That's how you found Brueski after all..."

They all looked to Trudge; none of them had thought of that. Trudge just shook his head. "We tried; for some reason it can't be traced. One minute the system will tell us he's at the mall, the next he's clear across the city in the Satellite. Whoever kidnapped him thought of everything and found someway to keep us from tracking him through his mark."

"Well, that's just great."

"You're telling me," Trudge responded. "Anyway, I figured the four of you Signers could each take a section of the city in hopes maybe one of your marks would tell you if you're close."

"Sounds like a plan," Jack commented. "I just hope it works. Who's going where?"

"Jack, you take the north end; Crow, take the west; Akiza, the east. I'll take Leo and Luna in the jeep and cover the south portion. As for the Satellite, I guess it's whoever gets there first," Trudge directed. "I'll send out a call to the rest of Sector Security to get out there as well. Let's get going!"

* * *

><p>Four Hours Later<p>

"Any luck, guys?" Crow spoke into his helmet mike.

"None," Jack responded.

"Nada," came Trudge's voice next.

"I'm afraid not," Akiza responded last.

"I've been down every road," Crow sighed, shaking his head. "Whadaya say we head to Satellite, Jack? If you're done anyway..."

Jack nodded. "You bet. See you on the Bridge in a minute."

"Happy hunting," Trudge commented. "We're still going so I guess we'll join you when we get done."

"Same here," Akiza responded.

"Right. See you then."

Crow and Jack came into contact a few minutes later on the Daedalus Bridge.

"You wanna split up or stay together this time?" Crow asked the blond.

"Remember how Brueski was found in an old warehouse down here?" was the reply.

"Uhm... yeah."

"Maybe that's a good place to start then; maybe someone in that area has seen something suspicious that would help us out."

"You forget, Jack, that there's more than one warehouse district in Satellite."

"Then we'll just have to search them all, won't we?"

"Then we're sticking together?"

"I'd say so, yes," the blond stated, nodding once. "That's the smart way to go in case we run into trouble down here."

The two boys went down into the first warehouse district they came to, one with many of the buildings currently standing empty. They pulled their helmets off, dismounting and looking around for someone to talk with; no one was in sight. Out of the corner of his eye, Crow spotted the swish of a black cloak disappear around the corner of the nearest warehouse. He took off running, calling out as he went, "Hey! Wait!" Jack was soon at his heels. Crow rounded another corner into a dead-end, but the person had disappeared. He skidded to a halt.

"Where he'd go?" Jack asked, coming to a halt behind his orange-haired companion.

"I don't know, but that was our only chance down here I think... I guess we should move on from here; we have to find Yusei before it's too late, and we can't do that standing around here."

"Wait!" a feminine voice called out.

Crow and Jack looked up. "Wha -? How'd you get up there?" Jack called back. The woman gestured to an old metal ladder attached to the red brick wall. She jumped down, landing like a cat in the entrance to the dead-end alleyway. Her black hood fell away, revealing brown hair pulled back in a messy bun.

Crow's eyes went wide as an image flashed before his eyes: the photo of Yusei's parents he had found at the old Ener-D reactor. The woman in front of him looked identical, though nearly nineteen years had past.

"Who are you?" Jack demanded. "And why did you run from us only to end up revealing yourself?"

"Maybe I can help you," she responded, virtually ignoring the blonde's questions, "since you are friends of my son."

"WHAT?" Jack's violet eyes went wide at the sudden realization.

"Yeah, Jack," Crow finally spoke, a tinge of anger in his tone. "Yusei's mother is still alive, remember? And now she's standing here, daring to say she can help us. Well, unless you can tell us where he is, we're leaving."

"I don't, but I can try to help you find him. I know things..."

"Ya know even if you just happened to know his exact location, I'm not sure I'd listen."

"But - "

"I mean, why should we? You abandoned him! Why should we believe you want to help now?"

"That's _why_ you need to listen! I can bring everything into the light!"

Crow glared at the woman before him. "But you ABANDONED him! Do you have any IDEA at ALL of what he's been through?"

"I didn't mean to ever leave him," Kara whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "Please. Just give me the chance to explain."

Crow crossed his arms, still glaring, and waited for her to start.

"It happened like this...

"Everything started months before my husband, Hiero, started working on the reactor. It was the first project he had with that particle he discovered that this whole mess is about. His team consisted of six other men. Hiero was not the one in charge, though; his discovery simply made the plans of another possible. He never told me exactly what the project was, only that it would somehow bring about so much good for the city.

"Then one day he came home from work, furious. His boss had changed his intentions of what this project was for; it would cause great destruction instead of great hope. Hiero tried to talk to this man, Giovanni Kynomi, but it didn't work the way he had intended. Instead of stopping the entire thing, he received threats to not say a word about it.

"So my husband took back what was his to begin with and eventually destroyed the altered particles. After that, there was only one remaining: the original that I gave to Yusei. Kynomi could do nothing without it; even if he had managed to acquire it, one wouldn't be enough and only my husband knew how to duplicate it; he was also the only one who knew how to alter it so it would do what Kynomi wanted it to. However, my husband didn't destroy the plans for either the duplication process or the alteration; it's possible that Kynomi has found them by now or figured it out for himself.

"Soon after, Hiero was given the offer to work for the government, again using the particle for something that was supposed to be a good thing for the city. He duplicated the particle once more for this new research project. Because he was being paid so much more, we were able to move to the Tops, and the threat Brueski posed instantly vanished. But this project, too, became dangerous.

"You already know how this turned out, though.

"I was fortunate and able to escape the destruction caused by Zero Reverse. But I knew my husband was right when he had told me it wouldn't be safe for me to be in the city after that. The destruction brought the existence of the particle into the public eye - and the eyes of those who felt if had been stolen from them and wanted it back. I couldn't stay in the city; they would come after me, hoping that since my husband was gone, I would give them what they wanted. If I wouldn't willingly give it up, they would kill me and take it; I couldn't let that happen. I took the amulet the last particle was contained in and fled the city. There was no reason to stay since I couldn't even be sure my son had survived.

"For sixteen years I had to run for my life - literally. A few days after I left the city, an attempt was made on my life; it happened again a few days after the first. I knew I was being followed, so I kept on the move; I never stayed in the same place more than a few days at a time. After sixteen long years, I finally managed to make a deal with the four men who had been following me. It wasn't hard; as it turned out, they were as tired of chasing as I was of running. They agreed to return and report me dead so all of us could go on with living.

"But I knew I could still never return to Domino City; if someone recognized me, I'd be done for. The press would have a field day over it, and for good reason since I was supposed to be dead, and then Brueski would know I had returned and come after me. There was no point anyway; I knew my husband was dead, and I assumed Yusei to be the same.

"One day I had the TV on in my apartment while I was cleaning. The news had just come on, and two anchormen were discussing the Fortune Cup that was going on. I wasn't particularly interested in turbo duels, but the report caught my attention when they started talking about 'Satellite's Shooting Star': the underdog who would be facing Jack Atlas, the current champion, in less than fifteen minutes time. Highlights flashed on the screen from the previous duel, and as soon as they mentioned his name, there was no doubt in my mind: somehow my son had survived.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to hop on a plane right then and there to go see him - to meet him, really. But there was still Brueski; I couldn't be sure I wouldn't endanger my son's life by returning. As long as Yusei didn't know anything about that first project, I was sure Brueski wouldn't go after him.

"So I hope now you understand why I stayed away. Don't you _dare_ think even for a moment that I don't love my son; I do, so very much. That's why I dared come back now; I couldn't bear to stay away any longer, knowing he's alive, seeing what he's become.

"Don't you _dare_ think I abandoned him; I didn't know he was alive until the Fortune Cup. Though even if I had, I wouldn't have been able to come back for him; I was being chased and wouldn't dream of putting my only son in harm's way.

"I only wish I could have been apart of so much more of his life. But it just wasn't meant to be. If I could go back in time and tell my husband I was going to survive, I would've taken Yusei with me; at least he may have had a better life if I had been able to leave him with a family friend instead. But I had no way of knowing what would happen; no way of knowing I would survive, no way of knowing how harsh of a life my son would be forced to live."

Kara paused for a moment before continuing. "I love Yusei very much. Please, let me help you find him. Face it: you can't do it without me. … But I can't do it without you, either.

"So, what do you say?"

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Hmph... Still not the best thing I've ever written. I'm starting to think I need to go back and rewrite some of these chapters... Ah, well; I already know that's never gonna happen 'cause I have too much else to work on this summer.<p>

Anyway, please continue to review^_^ It literally makes my day when I log into my gmail and I have a message saying someone reviewed my story.


	17. Chapter 16 The Reason

Author's Notes: Back to Yusei in this chapter^_^ Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen – The Reason<strong>

"How have I failed?" Yusei called out. "My friends surely know I'm missing by now; they'll came find me! We have an inseparable bond! Or have you not noticed the mark on my arm? Or the one on my face for that matter? Sector Security can trace it right to me - and right to you, too!"

"My, you are a big-talker, aren't you?" the voice boomed. "But your friends won't be able to find you, I'm afraid. I've blocked the signal from that criminal mark, and as for your little Dragon-Signer friends, two of them have already passed by here. That's something you should know about me, boy; I'm a very powerful psychic that can do many things with his mind. Picture that Izinski girl; as powerful as she was, I have ten times her abilities! Not only in dueling telekinesis, but also in distortions, like preventing your friends from knowing from those marks that you're here as they pass, and also in a little something I call 'Mind Games'. I mess with your mind, and since it's so much fun for me to watch you suffer, that makes it a game!"

As this man finished his sentence, Yusei could feel the same pain he had felt a moment before begin to work its way through his body, slowly intensifying as it went. His body was still weak from almost drowning, and he didn't know how much more he would be able to take.

"Why?" Yusei breathed, the lingering pain sapping more of his strength. "Why are you doing this?"

The voice chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know." A pause. "Ah, well, I suppose it can't hurt anything; you won't live to remember any of it anyway!

"It all started when I was very young. My earliest memory is of someone beating me. It was not my father, for I know my parents abandoned me as a baby; they wanted a girl, not a boy. When I found this out, I ran away from the orphan's home. I didn't fit in or have any friends anyway so no one would miss me. I was eighteen and determined when I left to get even with the world for its cruelties. I would find a way to destroy those who had abandoned me and had refused to love me.

"And I did. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to make it work.

"That was when I met Hiero Fudo. Well, not in person. I saw him on the news discussing his discovery, and suddenly all the pieces came together. All I had to do was get in good with your father, and revenge would be mine!

"The only problem was how to do it. He would never go along with my plans, I knew, he being such an up-right citizen. So I thought on it for a few more months to perfect my plans; I had waited twelve years for this, what was a few more months if it would get me what I wanted?

"It was a slow process, getting to know your father. By the time I convinced him to help me, another year had past me by. But I did convince him, none-the-less. I told him it would cure mental disabilities; how could he possibly turn me down?

"We worked for months, perfecting my project of unknown destruction. Research, trial and error, more research, more trial and error; the cycle was endless. In the end, I got what I wanted - almost.

"Hiero backed out when he discovered I had lied to him and the rest of his staff. Luckily for me, I had my own 'staff' he and his friends knew nothing about. Well, they did know but weren't aware of exactly what a loyal and deadly weapon he was. Enter Dr. Brueski, trained assassin. His first task had been to recover the stolen particle from your father; when Hiero left, he took it with him along with all the plans. Unfortunately for me, by the time Brueski found him, it was too late. By then Hiero had excepted a government position, researching that same particle's ability to generate energy.

"I started getting worried that if he felt safe, he would spill the beans on me, have me arrested (he had that kind of power, after all, working for the government). So I made sure your father remembered the little warning about the safety of his family I had issued the day he walked out; he assured me none of them could ever forget. His word wasn't enough for me, though; I set Brueski to the task of keeping an eye on all of my former employees.

"And to kill anyone if they posed a threat to me. That's how Kale Hogan and Marc Atlas met their end anyway, shortly after the city split. It was easy to blame the flooding and destruction for it. They were in the way, threatening to expose me, so they had to go since I wasn't done yet; no, no, not me! I would get my revenge with or without your father if it was the last thing I did!

"And so, you see, I have at last succeeded! The time has come for my revenge, and there is no way to stop what has begun! It's game over for those who abandoned me, and those related will pay as well!"

"But why?" Yusei asked. "Why take the lives of people who had no part in what happened?"

"IDIOT!" the voice boomed. "Don't you see? It's REVENGE on my parents for abandoning me as a baby! REVENGE on the sister I've never met for having their love while I was left out in the cold! REVENGE on her offspring simply for living a life I could never know!

"REVENGE, Yusei!"

"Don't YOU see?" the raven-haired duelist retorted. "You're not the only one to lead a hard life! I never knew my parents, either! What's more, I had to grow up in a culture that treated people from Satellite like they weren't even human! … I know you understand how that feels, being an outcast; I know because I've been there! But you don't see me running around killing everyone who had a part in how my circumstances turned out, do you? Life is only 10% what happens; the other 90% is how you react to it! You can choose to be bitter, or you can choose to move on and make the most of what you _do_ have!

"And as far as revenge goes... It never helped matters any. Trust me, I know that from experience, too! Not long ago I had my best friend bent on killing me - for revenge! In the end, it backfired on him big time."

"ENOUGH!" the voice boomed. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, BOY!"

"Alright, well, there's something else I don't get. What do you want with me; why do you want to kill me? And how do you plan to take revenge on someone when you don't even know who they are?"

"You ask far too many questions, boy!" the bass growled. "Those answers are for me to know and for you to find out! My grand plan is almost complete! Then, boy, you will see that revenge can be successful with enough planning! It's almost ready now; then you will see!" The man paused to laugh menacingly. "But in the mean-time, shall we play a little game, _Nephew_?"

Yusei's sapphire-blue eyes went wide in the darkness. "What?" he breathed.

The only response was evil laughter echoing around him. And then this 'game' started once again. The pain started out as manageable but rapidly intensified to unbearable as his captor showed no mercy.

Yusei cried out, but only the darkness could hear him.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Mwahahaha! Wasn't expecting that, now were you? *Evil Grin*<p>

...I just hate it when the villain reveals his _entire _plan to the hero; it drives me nuts 'cause as the reader you know that the hero is going to escape and now he knows how to stop whatever it is that the villain is planning. That is why I refused to do that. You find out whats going on but _NOT_ how it works. You'll see how that one works out... *Evil Grin Widens*

Anyway, as always, please review! I love hearing what you all think of what I write^_^ And, hey, don't forget that I love constructive criticism as much as a compliment!


	18. Chapter 17 Startling Discoveries

Author's Notes: And so the plot thickens!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter^_^ I love hearing what you people think!

Oh, and before you get into the story, just a brief WARNING: Mild language in this one.

Enjoy^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen – Startling Discoveries<strong>

"So where is this guy?" Trudge boomed. Everyone was back at the hospital - the central location the group was calling 'headquarters' for the time being.

"I'm afraid I don't know that," Kara Fudo answered softly. "But if we put our heads together, I think we'll be able to figure it out."

Trudge shook his head. "I'm not so sure about that, ma'am. He could be half way to Timbuktu for all we know; we're at a dead-end here."

"Well, what _do_ we know?" she asked.

"Nothing: that's the problem," Crow responded. "The only thing we have to go on is that form with Kynomi's handwriting on it and the fact that Brueski was found in the third warehouse district in the Satellite. Well, and those four cards Yus' and I found, but they disappeared with him."

"What are they?" Kara asked.

"Huh?"

"The cards. There might be some kind of clue."

"Don't you know what they are? It was your husband who taped them to the back of the photos after all..."

She shook her head. "He didn't tell me what they were; I didn't ask hoping he was wrong about what was about to happen."

"Don't know how just knowing what they are is gonna help any, but I guess it's worth a shot," Crow sighed, scratching his head. "Uh, let's see... Dark Magician, Celtic Guardian, Swords of Revealing Light, and Chain Reaction, I think."

"My husband enjoyed riddles," Kara started. "Maybe this is just one of them."

"Well, I hope you have better luck with it than we did," Crow responded. "'Cause we sure couldn't solve it."

"Hmm," she thought out loud as she paced a small distance across the floor. "The Dark Magician is obviously Kynomi; it represents power within the darkness. He is definitely powerful; he's capable of many things with those psychic powers he possesses."

"Wait, WHAT?" Crow exclaimed. "This freaky dude is A PHYSCHIC?"

Kara nodded once. "I'm afraid so… I've heard what he can do, and it's not a pretty sight. "

"Well, that's just one more reason we need to find him – and fast!"

Kara resumed her pacing as she thought out loud. "Celtic Guardian; let's see... He must represent defense and a chance to stop the darkness. So there is a way to stop whatever it is Kynomi has planned; we just have to find out how.

"Now, Swords of Revealing Light must mean that evil will be revealed - which it has been - but there will only be so much time to stop it. If it can't be stopped, then it's game over for whoever is trying to stop the evil.

"Chain Reaction is obvious as well; one thing leads to another. If there's one weak-link, the effect can be negated. But only if that link - _that fault or mistake_ - can be found before it's too late."

Crow gazed at her in disbelief. "You got all that out the names of four cards? How did you DO that?"

"Like I said, my husband liked riddles."

"Alright," Trudge interrupted. "But what does that tell us? Nothing! So what was the point?"

"Kynomi had to have made a mistake of some kind... He wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box, so chances are he left some sort of clue without knowing it," Kara responded. "Also, when people get confident about what they're doing, that's often when the most mistakes are made. If Kynomi thinks he left no trace - no clue - to his location, then chances are good that he messed up somewhere.

"The warehouse Brueski was found in: did you have your men check every warehouse in that district?"

"Mm." Trudge nodded. "Every single one, quite thoroughly."

"Hmm." Kara thought for a moment. Then she had an idea: "Would someone hand me the form with his handwriting on it, please?"

"Uh... sure," Trudge responded, handing it over. "Don't know what you think you'll find on it though."

"To be honest it's a long shot, but you never know."

There was more information on the form than Kara cared to read at the moment, but what caught her attention was the handwritten portion at the bottom, a signature underneath it. The information contained here was the ward and room numbers of where Yusei had supposedly been moved to almost ten hours before.

Wait.

Could it be possible Kynomi had messed up quite this badly? If he had counted on the form being thrown out before anyone knew what was happening, it was possible he hadn't thought about the numbers he had written.

"Officer Trudge," Kara questioned. "How many warehouse districts are there?"

"Six, I believe, in the Satellite anyway," he responded, confused as to how this applied.

"Which in the farthest away?"

"Number four."

It couldn't be! "How many warehouses are there in district four?" She kept her voice the same even tone in case her theory was incorrect.

"Uhm... close to twenty, I think."

"Now look at this form, and tell me where it was Yusei was supposedly moved to this morning."

"Room 412 of ward four. So what?" Trudge asked. Then the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "You don't think he'd be THAT stupid, do you, ma'am?"

"Well, I would say it wouldn't hurt to check out warehouse twelve of district four! It's the only lead we've got!" Kara exclaimed.

"Then let's go!" Crow rallied.

* * *

><p>"DAMN IT!" Crow yelled at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing off the wall of the warehouse. "WHERE IS HE?"<p>

"So much for that lead," Trudge sighed. "I really thought we might have been on to something here... I guess those numbers really were just random."

"DAMN IT!" Crow yelled again, striking out at the wall with his fist. He recoiled suddenly, falling to the floor in the process. Everyone looked over, puzzled until they saw the gaping hole leading into a narrow hallway beyond.

"Nice going, Crow!" Jack called out enthusiastically. "Who knew your fiery temper would actually come in handy for something!"

"This hall's too narrow for all of us to go in," Trudge observed as the group drew near the hole. "Jack, Crow; the three of us will go in. The rest of you stay here."

The three squeezed through the narrow opening, Crow taking the lead, and crept down the hallway. At the end of the passage were two identical wooden doors. Jack reached over and opened the door on their left. Inside were two tables covered with papers and books containing who knew what. "Maybe we can finally get some answers..." the blond murmured. They all stepped inside.

"Hey, hey!" Crow exclaimed in a hushed voice. "Look at this!" Trudge and Jack gazed over the orange-haired boy's shoulder at the sheet of paper he held up.

"It looks like a plan of some kind," Trudge mused.

As they studied the other pages strewn on this first table, the boys concluded it was, indeed, a plan of some kind. Then Crow came across a single sheet of yellowing paper with a description scrawled on it. As he quickly skimmed it, a knot formed in the pit of his stomach. "Hey, guys," he squeaked. "I think I found something. This page... It tells exactly what's going on, and it's not good..."

On this single sheet Kynomi had outlined exactly what he intended to do and how to do it. Using his own DNA, he was able to effectively create a nanobot that could identify similar DNA in another person's body. He intended to use these nanobots to take revenge on his family, but since he didn't know whom they were, the nanobots would identify them for him. In order to make it deadly, however, Kynomi needed certain elements to bond together that normally wouldn't; that's where Hiero Fudo had come in. The page also contained the plan of trickery to convince Hiero to join the team: He would be told it was a way to potentially cure mental disabilities.

But how to circulate the nanobot? That was on this one page, as well! An explosion would set them loose. Laced with human DNA, the nanobots were almost alive themselves and would hunt down anyone in the world with similar DNA to what it carried. Everyone would be exposed to them and more than likely end up with a few in his or her system, but only those with the correct DNA would die.

And a slow, painful death it would be, described here. Once the nanobot entered a person's system and had identified the correct DNA, it would proceed to attack that person's vital organs first. Unfortunately for the victim, it would take quite some time for the nanobot to do its work. The result? ...A very painful, very slow death...

"That's... not... good..." Trudge stuttered.

Jack, who had turned around as the officer spoke, spotted another piece of paper of interest; this one carried far worse news than first had. "You have no idea," he whispered.

"Huh?" Crow questioned as he and Trudge turned to face the blond. "What do you mean?"

"I mean this," Jack murmured, holding up the page he had just found. "It's the results of a DNA test; more specifically a test of Yusei's DNA. Now it's even more important that we find him and soon. If that plan goes into affect, he won't have a chance.

"Yusei's DNA is almost a perfect match to Kynomi's!"

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><p>Author's Notes: <em>Dun-dun-dun!<em> Anyone got it figured out yet? Lol... I just love cliff-hangers^_^ (not that you didn't already know they were related thanks to the last chapter but that's not the point...)

Anyway, please continue to review^_^ They make my day!


	19. Chapter 18 And So It Ends

Author's Notes: ...And the plot continues to thicken... (As always, **thank you** to the people who have reviewed and will continue to review! I love you guys^_^)

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><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen – And So It Ends<strong>

Yusei knew he couldn't hold out much longer. How much time had past since he'd woken up in this place? Days, hours, minutes; he no longer had any perception of time. Was it already too late?

The latch on a door clicked open, and Yusei was forced to close his eyes, as the room was suddenly flooded with a blinding white light. When he could finally open them again, the silhouette of a large man appeared in the doorway. As the man slowly raised a hand, the outline of a syringe appearing next to the body. Yusei didn't know what it contained, but he had the feeling it wasn't good.

The man chuckled as he sauntered into the room. "I told you I love to watch people suffer, Nephew, and I meant it. This little syringe here is my life's work - part of it anyway. It contains nanobots with my DNA inside them. Anyone exposed to these little fiends will die a terribly painful death if that person has DNA similar to mine." He paused in front of his sister's son. "Does that answer your question of how I intend to find people I don't know?"

Yusei couldn't answer; he didn't dare to, really, after the torture he'd already been subject to.

The man continued. "And to think: None of this would have been possible if it hadn't been for _your very own father_!" With that, he lowered the syringe to Yusei's arm. The young signer could feel the tip of the needle as it punctured the flesh of his left arm. He closed his deep blue eyes and waited for the end to come.

His eyes snapped back open as he felt the needle suddenly jerked from his arm. Much to his surprise, he did not find the same man standing over him; instead he found none-other than Jack Atlas.

"DON'T you EVER think of hurting one of my _FRIENDS_!" the former champ yelled at the now sprawled-on-the-floor man.

But Kynomi refused to be taken out so easily; he wouldn't go down without seeing his nephew suffer. The syringe had skittered away but was still just within reach. If he managed to break it, his nephew would be exposed, and he would still have the opportunity to see Yusei suffer its effects. Kynomi reached for it, but stopped when he heard the clicking of multiple gun barrels.

"Don't. Move. A. Single. Muscle. Kynomi," Trudge stated evenly, menacingly. "Touch that syringe, and you're a dead man."

Yusei let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Looking back to the doorway, he could see a small group of officers, all holding guns, standing beside Trudge and Crow. The other officers advanced, gun barrels still aimed at Kynomi, to arrest him. He didn't resist the men but started laughing like a madman as one officer slapped handcuffs down on his wrists.

"This isn't over, Yusei!" he cackled. "As soon as the nanobots are powered up and the explosion happens, you'll still be a goner! You've only prolonged your fate! As I said before, boy, I will have my REVENGE!" Kynomi was still laughing as the officers escorted him from the room.

Crow rushed over to his friend, pulled out a pocketknife, and started cutting away the wire cords holding Yusei to the wooden chair. "You alright, Yus'?"

"I think so," he lied as the cords fell away; in reality, he was extremely exhausted and sore. "For the moment anyway; he wasn't bluffing, after all. His plan will still take affect, and when it does I'll be done-for. Worst part is, I don't think there's any way to stop what's been set in motion."

"There has to be," Jack stated matter-of-factly. "We just haven't found it yet. But we will, Yusei; we have to."

"Let's get you out of here, kid," Trudge interrupted. "We can talk about this later."

"There may not be a 'later', Trudge," Yusei responded.

* * *

><p>A few moments, and a short briefing, later the four appeared through the hole Crow had accidentally created in the wall. Yusei heard a loud gasp as he entered the main room of the warehouse; he must've looked worse than he thought. He glanced around at his friends, then his eyes fell on Kara Fudo; time seemed to stand still as the realization sunk in. But there wasn't time for this now; a reunion would have to wait.<p>

"The reunion can wait," Kara stated, echoing her son's thoughts. "If we can't find a way to stop this thing, it may not matter anyway."

Jack nodded. "So how do we stop this thing - whatever it is - once we find it?"

"Uhm," Crow interjected. "About that... See, I've been thinking, and it would appear the only way to stop this thing would be to somehow remove the Yusei Particles from those nanobots. So if anyone knows how to do that, then we're golden; if not, we're toast."

Yusei swallowed hard. "Let's just cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now we still have to locate this thing."

"The way I figure it," Kara started, "it has to be under this warehouse somewhere. It'd be somewhere close, somewhere Kynomi could keep an eye on it."

"Well, there were only the two doors down that passage, and only the one into that room you were in, Yusei," Jack responded. "So there must be another false wall somewhere."

"That's it!" Crow exclaimed. "It's gotta be the back wall of that first room we were in; I thought there was something strange about the back wall being left completely clear! If there was nothing to block, then Kynomi could've placed another table there, but as it is, a door could easily be opened in the empty space!"

Crow was right; a few moments later, a door had been uncovered leading down another set of stairs.

Yusei took a deep breath and said, "The rest of you stay here; I don't want anyone to get hurt, and there's no knowing what's going to happen."

"No way!" Crow protested. "You ain't getting rid of me that easy, Yus'! I'm coming with you!"

Jack nodded. "There's no way you're going down there alone! Besides, you might need someone to help figuring out how to stop this thing."

"Then we're coming, too," Akiza protested; Leo and Luna nodded from where they stood beside her.

"No," Yusei responded, ducking his head. "None of you are coming; this is my battle."

"Yusei," Crow stated firmly. "Do I really have to remind you of what happened the last time you tried to take something down on your own? No one was ever meant to take on the world by himself."

The raven-haired teen looked up, sapphire blue eyes meeting his friend's grey ones. He sighed, knowing Crow was right. Besides, they didn't have time to argue about this. He slowly nodded. "Alright," he gave in. "But only Jack and Crow; like I said, I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"But -" Leo started to protest; he stopped when Kara rested her hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to gaze up at her.

"I think my son's choice is a good one, Leo," Kara responded. She looked over to her son, meeting his eyes, and nodded. When she continued, her words were directed to Yusei. "There's one thing that may help you, though. Somewhere on each of those four cards you have are four digits; I don't know exactly what they're for, but I do know it's a code of some kind. You might need it." She paused. Then: "There's one other thing; if nothing else it'll help you remember that your father found a way. I know you can, too; the two of you are so much alike... Anyway, I found this outside; maybe it will come in handy."

Yusei nodded, took the amulet she held out, and pulled the cards from the inside pocket of his recently recovered jacket. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." He placed the five objects back in his pocket for safekeeping.

"You'd better get going, now," Trudge prompted. "Before it's too late."

Jack and Crow moved to step down the stairwell; instantly lights clicked on all the way down, as if someone had thrown a switch. But Yusei hesitated. The first two stopped a few steps down, waiting for Yusei to take the lead.

"There's something all of you should know before I go," Yusei finally spoke, ducking his head again. As he turned to go, he finished, "I may not come out of this alive." He heard Akiza, the twins, and his mother gasp as he started down the stairway; he didn't dare look back, for he already knew the looks of terror he would find, and he knew he would loose his nerve upon seeing their faces.

The three boys quickly descended the stairs to the brightly lit corridor below. The passage was twice as wide as the stair had been and had a higher ceiling as well. A moment later they came to the end of the passage. There in front of them was a door, a keypad to the right; to the left was a second door covered over in a steel panel.

"That must have been the control room," Jack observed of the panel. "Covered it over so in case anyone happened to find this place, they couldn't get in. So I guess the only other option is the door in front of us."

Gazing through a small window, Crow observed, "I don't think that's a good idea... This is some kind of vault, and this door is the only thing holding those nanobots in. We open it, and Yusei's a goner."

"Then it's hopeless," Jack admitted. "Kynomi wasn't lying; there really is no way to stop it."

"Yes, there is." Crow and Jack turned to Yusei. "There's one thing Kynomi didn't count on."

"I'm not sure I follow," Crow stated.

Yusei ducked his head, raven bangs covering eyes now full of fear. "Kynomi didn't count on me. If we open the door, those nanobots will be released when the explosion is suppose to happen, only it won't cause quite the same amount of damage; if we don't, there will be the explosion to set them free, only in a more destructive manner. Either way, I'm a goner, along with millions of other people in the world.

"But there's a third option, one none of us has considered. It's the reason I said I might not come out of this alive.

"We have to open the door. When we do, I'll step inside and let my body absorb every single nanobot; my life will be over, but so many more will survive."

"NO!" Crow protested, grey eyes brimming with tears. "You can't! There has to be another way!"

"Yusei," Jack murmured. "Are you sure about this? There has to be another way! We just haven't found it yet, is all..."

"There might be," Yusei responded, head still lowered. "But we've run out of time to find it. I have to do this Jack; the more I think about it the more I'm convinced. If I don't do this, I die along with so many others in the world; if I do, then at least I'm the only one who has to lose his life."

"Mm." Jack nodded solemnly, understanding his friend's meaning. Jack knew Yusei well enough to realize that his friend was afraid, but also that he couldn't walk away with a clear conscience; Yusei couldn't let others die, knowing he could have stopped it - even if it meant he himself would have to lose his life. "We had better figure out that lock code, then."

Yusei brought out the four cards and the amulet from the inside pocket of his jacket. The numbers the three boys were looking for were small and worn away but readable. There were four digits in the top left-hand corner on the backside of each card.

"I suppose they go in the same order we found them in," Crow volunteered half-heartedly. The orange-haired male couldn't believe what was about to happen. After all the would-be brothers had been through, he didn't think they'd ever be separated again - especially not like this. If he had known it would lead to this, Crow never would have tried to convince Yusei to continue searching for information about his parents. It just didn't seem right for it to end this way...

"Here we go." Yusei's words broke into Crow's thoughts; who knew those three words could cause so much pain? Yusei read off the numbers as he typed them into the keypad. "2051... 1993... 8809..." He took a deep breath, trying to steady his shaking hand. Slowly he typed in the last four digits. "7264... Enter."

The words ACCESS GRANTED flashed on the screen in green where the numbers had been seconds before. As the door slid open, an all-too familiar pain shot up all three signers' arms as their marks flared to life. The door was fully open now, a pillar of white light visible, slowly expanding to fill up the space in the room.

Suddenly, Crow and Jack's marks vanished from their right arms; at the same time, the mark of the Crimson Dragon appeared on Yusei's back. The raven-haired boy's body became engulfed in crimson light. His friends watched as his eyes fell shut and his head flew back as if someone had suddenly grabbed his hair and jerked downward upon his head. His arms lifted slightly away from the rest of his body, the cards and amulet still clutched in his left hand.

Out of nowhere, a wind began to blow, swirling around the young raven-haired man. It steadily blew harder as the light surrounding Yusei steadily grew brighter. Both grew in intensity until the wind pressed Crow and Jack against the wall, unable to move, and the light was so bright it blinded them; they could no longer see their friend but couldn't take their eyes from the spot he had been for fear of losing him altogether.

Then came what all three had been dreading. The white light inside the room streamed out and mixed with the crimson light already surrounding Yusei. As the two lights mixed and swirled together, Jack and Crow were able to catch a glimpse here and there of their friend. He had been lifted from the floor and was suspended in mid-air midst the crimson-white light, hair and clothing tossing wildly in the wind. The cards had been whipped from his hand and were now part of the windstorm around him, though the amulet was still suspended from the chain in his grasp; the amulet, too, was whipping around wildly.

In a matter of seconds, the whole ordeal was over. The lights and wind vanished in an instant; so quick it was that Crow and Jack fell to the floor and were blind from the lack of light. The two felt their marks return to their arms and knew it was over. As their eyes readjusted to the absence of light, the two would-be brothers gazed around at the shattered lights and ruble left by what had just happened.

And there on the cold cement before them lay the body of a raven-haired boy, clutching an amulet in his left hand.

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><p>Author's Notes: Okay, now, I know what you're thinking! But don't kill me yet, okay? There's still two more chapters to come!<p> 


	20. Chapter 19 A New Hope

Author's Notes: I won't keep you with my rambling... Enjoy^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen – A New Hope<strong>

_Beep... Beep... Beep..._

It was a few hours before dawn, but no one felt like sleeping. Too much had happened in the last few hours.

_Beep... Beep... Beep..._

A heart monitor, the only sound in the otherwise silent room, was the only sign any time at all was passing. The crew had been at the hospital for hours, but so far Yusei had been unresponsive. He had been barely alive when they reached the Emergency Room, and the doctors weren't sure he would make it until morning without being placed on life support. He was so weak...

_Beep... Beep... Beep..._

Yusei hadn't had much strength when the three boys had headed down to the vault as it was, and sealing away one particle and destroying the millions of particles that remained had literally taken everything he had left. When Crow had first seen his raven-haired friend lying on the floor, he'd thought him dead. Jack had given them both a spark of hope when the blond had discovered a pulse that was barely there. Even now, the monitor had a hard time picking it up.

_Beep... Beep... Beep..._

They were lucky, though, in more than one way. Yusei shouldn't have survived, but there he was, still breathing, still living. Kara should have been the only one allowed in his room under the circumstances, as well, but she had pulled a few strings and managed to at least get Crow and Jack inside. Akiza, the twins, Trudge, Blister, and Kalin were all waiting for news in a room down the corridor.

_Beep... Beep... Beep..._

It seemed like an eternity past before the first light of morning crept through the window of the hospital room. Somehow Yusei was alive; somehow he had survived the first battle for his life, but a new fight had begun.

_Beep... Beep... Beep..._

The hours ticked by, the sun first rising in the east then setting in the west, and suddenly it was night again. There Yusei lay, motionless, still comatose, his condition no worse, but no better, then it had been when the sun had risen. And still no one could sleep for fear he would slip away in that time.

It was almost midnight when Crow spoke softly, "This is all my fault..." His voice startled Jack and Kara as none of them had spoken a word for hours. "If it hadn't been for me, none of this ever would have happened."

Kara rose from chair beside Yusei's bed and went over to where Crow was seated in one corner. She knelt beside him, a hand on his shoulder. "You can't blame this on yourself, Crow; it was beyond you control."

Crow refused to meet her eyes and instead gazed down at his hands. "How can you say that? If it hadn't been for me, he woulda stopped searching, like he'd planned, and we wouldn't be sitting here wondering if he's gonna make it or not!"

Jack spoke then, for the first time since the crew had arrived at the hospital nearly twenty-four hours before. "Well then, in that case it's really Kalin's fault, isn't it? He's the one who got this ball rolling almost two months ago, remember? She's right, Crow, Yusei made his own choices; no one decided for him. Besides, there was no way any of us could have seen such an end coming."

"It'd be like saying I was responsible for the whole Dark Signer mess," the blonde added. "You can't pin the blame on one person alone; what happened happened because of a series of events - _a series of choices_ - made by many different people. If even one person involved had made a choice different from the one he had, the whole outcome could have been completely different. Fact of the matter is, one person's choice causes someone else to choose in accordance to it; everything that happens is one big chain reaction, and you never know how it's going to turn out until the end.

"You and I - we may have pressured Yusei into searching again, but ultimately it was his choice. You know Yusei as well as I do, so you also know that he's a bit headstrong, and no one can force him to make a decision.

"It's also because I know him that I know he's going to pull though; he's stronger then this and never gives up the fight."

Crow couldn't stop his mind from wandering back in time; he knew what Jack meant about Yusei being headstrong. He could think of more than one time when the odds were against his raven-haired friend, but Yusei went ahead and did it anyway - and succeed. Not even Kalin could talk him out of some his plans.

But Crow knew Jack was right about more than that; he was right about this whole mess not being any one person's fault. The blame went to everyone who was involved: Giovanni Kynomi, Dr. Brueski, Hiero Fudo, himself, Kalin, Jack, Yusei... all of them were to blame.

It was then that Crow voiced what none of them had wanted to think about. "But what if he doesn't make it, Jack? What then?" he choked.

"We go on with life the best we can," was the blonde's only reply.

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><p>The silent hours dragged on until dawn. Kara had resumed her position next to her son's bed, his right hand in hers, head resting on one arm atop the bed. Jack sat opposite her, though farther away towards the outside wall, legs crossed, arms folded. Crow remained in the corner parallel to Jack, still staring down at his hands clutched between his knees, elbows resting on his thighs. It had been thirty hours now.<p>

Kara jerked upright in her chair, causing the two boys to glance over in surprise. They soon understood why as a small moan escaped from the boy on the bed. Jack and Crow stood from their chairs and moved to stand on the opposite side from Kara. The three watched as Yusei struggled and then finally opened his sapphire-blue eyes. Tears of joy formed in Kara's brown eyes; Crow let out a sigh of relief, and Jack simply smiled.

"Welcome back, bro," Crow murmured.

"Where am I?" Yusei breathed, his voice barely audible.

"Safe," came Kara's reply; she smiled and gently squeezed her son's hand. "There's nothing to worry about now. Just rest."

Yusei's eyes suddenly went wide. "But Kynomi - !" he started as he struggled unsuccessfully to sit up.

"Is in jail," Crow responded. "Take it easy! It's over; it's done!" He reached over and picked up an object from the bedside table. "See?"

Yusei relaxed as he took the amulet from his friend; it once again glowed with a light of its own.

"There's nothing else to be done," Crow continued, "except for you to get some rest. Even heroes need to recover."

"Hero?" He looked puzzled.

"We'll explain later," Kara cut in. "Rest."

"Mm." Yusei clutched his left hand around the amulet and broken chain; his eyes fell closed and a moment later he had drifted into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

><p>The sun was shining brightly in through the window when next Yusei woke. Glancing around, he saw that both Jack and Crow had fallen asleep; Jack's head had simply fallen forward until his chin rested against his chest, while Crow's head had fallen back, a slight snore coming from his mouth. The two boys were the only others in the room.<p>

Crow's head slid off the side of his chair, taking the rest of his upper body with it. He jerked awake as his head crashed onto the wide windowsill to the right of him. Yusei couldn't help but chuckle at the spectacle.

"Hey, your awake!" Crow stated with a smile upon hearing the small laugh. "How ya feeling?"

"Better," the raven-haired boy answered. "Still tired, but better."

"Good to hear!" Crow moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "Your mom should be back soon; she had to run out for something - don't ask me what 'cause I have no idea - but she said it wouldn't take too long."

"Mm." Yusei nodded. "You must not have been asleep long then."

"Heh-heh, yeah... Every time I fell asleep, I'd fall off the chair in one way or another!"

It was silent for a moment before Yusei finally asked, "So what happened, Crow?"

"You mean with your Uncle's 'unstoppable' plan?" Crow made quote marks on the air with his fingers as he said 'unstoppable'. "Obviously, it wasn't as fool-proof as he thought. But how much do you remember exactly? That'll tell me how far back I have to go with this..."

"It's all pretty fuzzy right now, to be honest... But there's something else I was wondering, too: How did you manage to find me? Kynomi had me convinced it wasn't possible..."

"Well," Crow started, scratching his head, "it's kind of a long story..."

"Heh. I think we have plenty of time; I've got no where to go anytime soon!"

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><p>Author's Notes: See? I told you everything would be okay^_^ One more chapter to go, sadly only one. (But then I have a little bonus content though too^_^)<p>

Reviews still? Pretty please?


	21. Chapter 20 Change

Author's Notes: A huge THANK YOU to those of who have followed this story through to the end^_^ For those of you who have also reviewed at least once, I have cookies^_^ (Well, at least I _wish_ I could give you all cookies...)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this final, happy-sappy chapter of A Secret Kept! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty - Change<strong>

"When we found out you were related to Kynomi, we flipped," Crow recalled to Yusei. "Jack charged down the staircase behind the other door in that hallway, while Trudge and I ran back for reinforcements. As soon as Jack had opened that door, we knew you were in trouble; we could feel it through our marks, but for some reason they didn't light up like normal. Anyway, that's why Jack got there first, and it's a good thing he did from what he told us.

"As for what happened with all those nanobots, Jack and I aren't even sure. The whole thing couldn't have taken more than a few seconds."

Yusei was silent for a moment as everything Crow had just told him sank in.

Before he had a chance to respond, a voice spoke from the doorway. "I guess it's my turn to do some explaining now then." Yusei and Crow turned towards the door to discover that Kara had returned.

"C'mon, Crow," Jack spoke. "Let's get out of their hair; they have a lot to catch up on after all." The blonde's voice startled the two boys who hadn't realized he'd woken up from his nap during the conversation.

Crow rose from where he was still perched on the edge on Yusei's bed and followed Jack as he headed out the door. "Later, bro!" the fiery-haired duelist called with a wave of his hand.

Yusei couldn't stop his vision from blurring with tears as his mother approached. He couldn't believe how much everything had changed in the past few days. He'd gone from being an orphan to having a mother and an uncle, however insane said uncle might be. What was next? Some unknown sibling?

Kara sat on the edge of her son's bed, took his right hand in hers. Instead of remaining this way, Yusei slipped his hand free. Using all the strength he had, he sat up and wrapped his arms around his mother's neck. Kara returned the warm embrace, gently rubbing her right hand up and down his back. Neither mother nor son could keep the tears of joy from spilling from their eyes. For both it was the first true meeting of the other and a moment neither would ever forget.

"I love you, my son," Kara whispered. "I love you!"

* * *

><p>When Crow and Jack returned, Yusei was sound asleep once more. Kara had moved from his bed back to her chair next to the bed and was tracing circles on his hand with her thumb.<p>

"So did you tell him?" Crow asked in a hushed voice.

She shook her head. "Not yet. He's still exhausted, and I think he needs time to let everything else sink in first."

"Yeah, that's probably true," Crow agreed. "I can already tell you that he'll agree though; I'm almost positive."

"I sure hope so. I've already missed eighteen years of my only son's life; I don't want to miss another second of it. And I think the two of you need a family just as much."

"We've never had anyone to call family, so how could Jack and I say no when you said you'd like to legally adopt us?"

Kara smiled. She had come back to the city hoping to find her son only to end up gaining two beside! She couldn't help but fall in love with the two boys her son called his best friends. The three boys had been through so much, and now she felt they all deserved something better. So that's what she had gone out to do: She revealed herself to the current Director, and, in turn, had secured compensation for the death of her husband. With the amount she would be paid every month, she was able to secure a home in the Tops, and there would still be plenty left over for other things. She hadn't told Yusei about this yet, though; they'd had plenty else to talk about while he was awake. She would wait awhile before telling her son she wished him to come live in the Tops with her. If he agreed, Kara would also adopt Crow and Jack, though all three of the boys where legally adults. If not, she would still always consider Crow and Jack her sons anyway.

But just as Crow had predicted, Yusei agreed a few days later when he was told of his mother's plans. Not long after that, he was released from the hospital.

"I'll meet you guys back at the garage," Yusei stated to Crow and Jack as he mounted his duel runner. "There's something I have to do first."

A moment later Yusei was outside the detention center where his uncle was being kept before the trial. A guard showed him to his uncle's cell.

The first thing out of Kynomi's mouth when his nephew approach was, "What? Come to gloat, have you? I didn't think you were quite that pompous."

"Actually," Yusei stated, "I just wanted to ask you something, if I may."

Kynomi waved a hand dismissively. "Fine. Whatever. Can't guarantee I'll give you a straight answer, though."

"You told me that Brueski was responsible for killing Kale Hogan and Marc Atlas - the fathers of my best friends. I just want to know if he was also responsible for the death of my father." As Yusei spoke, he could see Kynomi's countenance soften considerably. The man sighed.

After a moment, his uncle responded for the first time without a trace of malice in his voice. "I honestly don't know, kid; I honestly don't know. I left the matters of murder up to him; I didn't get involved with any of that. Sorry."

Yusei nodded once, eyes downcast; he was a little disappointed but not surprised. Besides, maybe it was better he didn't know. As he turned to leave with his head still down, he stated, "There's one other reason I came by: You may not be asking for it, but I wanted to say that I forgive you - for everything." Kynomi gazed up at his nephew in surprise; he hadn't expected that! "You tried to kill your own family out of revenge, but I understand the pain that drove you to do so. Pain can easily blind you, cause you to make mistakes; I know because pain was the downfall of two of my closest friends at one time or another. Don't get me wrong; I'm not condoning the murders that are on your hands.

"But I do forgive you, Uncle Giovanni."

Kynomi stared on in surprised silence as his nephew walked away down the corridor. Did that really just happen? He had tried to kill his own nephew, and here that same boy was offering forgiveness! …This boy really is just like his father: Honest, noble, brave... Everything Kynomi wished he was but knew he could never be. Well, it was too late now and there was nothing he could do about it, no way to right the wrongs of the past. 'Too bad,' he thought. 'It's just too bad...'

* * *

><p>The transition from Zora's garage to the Tops didn't take long; Jack, Crow, and Yusei didn't really have that much to move since Zora agreed to let Crow and Yusei use the garage as a shop still. Therefore, Crow didn't have to move any of his delivery stuff, or Yusei, his tools. Kara had made it clear that they didn't have to work (which suited Jack just fine), but both Crow and Yusei enjoyed what they did and didn't want to give it up.<p>

Crow gave a low whistle as he stepped into his new home. "This is really something..."

"It's definitely gonna take some getting used to," was Yusei's comment.

Jack smiled. "It's good to be back living the high-life!"

"Everything will certainly be different," Kara stated. "For all of us. But change isn't always bad."

"No," Yusei agreed with a smile. "Sometimes it's a good thing - a very good thing."

"And ya know what guys?" Crow chimed. "I think this change will be a very good one!"

With that, the three brothers entered into the light of a bright new day.

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><p>Author's Notes: Yes, yes, I am very aware of the happy-sappy-ness that is this final chapter. So sue me - I like a happy ending!<p>

So, any final thoughts? I'd love to hear them^_^ (Bonus content on its way as well... Consists of questions that were brought to my mind as I proof read the whole thing... If there's something I failed to explain well enough, feel free to leave that question in a review and I will add it to the bonus content^_^)


	22. Deleted Scenes

Since no one had anything that they thought didn't line up in this story, then I decided to do something different than what I had originally planned. Just for the heck of it, I have written two 'deleted scenes,' if you will. The first is simply because you, as the reader, have no knowledge of what exactly happened in the time between Chapters 18 and 19. In a sense, this is still what I had planned as it does explain a few things, like what happened to the cards and where Dr. Yamamotto and Nurse Kai were during this whole ordeal. The second is because of two of my reviewers: One person asked if there would be a sequel, and to that I must say that no there won't be; a second person said that there has to be a sequel because Akiza and Kara have yet to officially meet, and I agree that that is true. So, instead of a sequel, you get a second 'deleted scene.'

Enjoy^_^

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><p><strong><em>Scene One: Time is of the Essence<em>**

_Immediately following chapter 18_

Crow couldn't seem to make his feet move. Yusei was dead; it wasn't possible for him to have survived what just happened. Jack managed to find his feet after a moment and moved around the corridor, carefully stepping over the broken debris. The four cards that had been sent fluttering madly in the sudden wind had floated down and lay softly on the floor; that was why the blonde had gotten up. He gently picked up the cards and sighed. These would be the only remembrance of the raven-haired man's last act of selflessness – the selflessness that had eventually gotten him killed. He stepped over to where his friend lay motionless on the cold cement floor. Out of one last act of hope, Jack placed the first two fingers of his right hand on Yusei's neck, feeling for any sign of life.

"Crow…" he spoke softly in disbelief, "I… I think he's still alive…"

The bird duelist's grey eyes doubled in size. "What?" Then he sighed. "C'mon, Jack; don't joke like that. It's not funny."

"I'm not joking!" Jack protested. "I think I feel a pulse!..." He moved his hand to below his friend's nose. "…And he's still breathing!"

Crow finally found his feet and hurried as quickly as he could manage to his friend's side. "Then let's hurry and get him out of here and get him some help!"

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><p>Officer Trudge rushed out of the building, carrying the raven-haired boy in his arms. Luckily for them, an ambulance had been called in advance, knowing that they might need it, so it was already there and waiting as everyone rushed out of the old warehouse. Dr. Yamamotto rushed over with Nurse Kai close behind, followed by a few paramedics, wheeling a stretcher with them.<p>

"How is he?" the doctor asked worriedly.

"Barely hanging on," Trudge answered as he placed the boy on the stretcher. "You'd better move fast if you plan to save him…"

The next few hours rushed by in a blur. The paramedics quickly loaded Yusei into the back of the ambulance and sped off in the direction of the nearest hospital, the others following behind as quickly as they could. They waited for over an hour in the Emergency Room before finally finding out anything about Yusei's condition. When the doctor finally emerged, he pulled Kara aside to speak with her privately. When she returned to where the others waited, she spoke what none of them wanted to hear.

"He's been placed in the ICU," she told them a strained voice. "The doctors are doing everything they can, but they don't think he'll make it 'til the morning."

"Can we see him?" Crow spoke softly.

Kara hesitated before answering. "Normally, under such conditions, I would be the only one allowed in. However, you and Jack are as close as brothers, so I managed to get the two of you in, as well. I wish all of you could come in, but I'm afraid that wasn't possible."

As the group headed off to the elevator that would take them up to where the raven-haired teen waited, they all knew this would be the longest night any of them would ever have to live through.

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><p><strong><em>Scene Two: "So you must be Akiza…"<em>**

_A few hours after Yusei first woke up._

Kara sat in her son's hospital room, thumbing through a magazine, when the door opened. Crow and Jack entered first, followed by a pretty red-headed girl Kara only knew by the name Akiza; Kara had yet to really meet this girl, only knowing her from their brief interaction in the warehouse while searching for Yusei. Akiza rushed to Yusei's side, clasping his hand in her own, a concerned look written all over her features, though she knew he was going to be fine now.

Kara silently studied the young woman. She was definitely the same one whom Kara had seen her son with that first night, the one whom he was talking and laughing with. It was now obvious that this young woman cared deeply for Yusei, a fact that Kara was pleased to find. She may not know this 'Akiza' yet, but if she was something special to Yusei, then who was Kara to object? Breaking the silence, she stated, "So you must be Akiza…" The girl managed to bring her gaze away from the boy on the bed to look at the other woman in the room. "I've heard a lot about you already from Crow and Jack."

Akiza nodded, allowing a small smile to cross her lips. Though, as she turned her gaze back to his sleeping form, her smile faded, replaced with a look of concern, once again. "He is going to be alright now, isn't he?"

It was Kara's turn to smile. "Yes; he'll be just fine. All he needs is a little rest now." She moved back to her son's side, opposite from Akiza. "I take it you care about my son very much. Am I right in thinking so?"

Akiza nodded again. "Very much. I don't know what I'd do without him…"

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><p>Yes, I know that last one was pretty short. Sorry; I couldn't think of anything else to add ^^; (heh-heh... couldn't help but have a little more faithshipping in the mix^_^)<p>

Well, I guess this is the end of the road for A Secret Kept. A huge thanks to all of you who have stayed with me to the end, and an even bigger thanks to those of you who have also reviewed at least once^_^

This is Starcatcher93, over and out.

**_Thanks for reading! ^-^_**


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